Oz. Never Never Land. Planet Krypton. And the University of Texas at El Paso.

My mom pushed me to earn good grades so I could go to college. To her, the university was a fantasy world she knew nothing about -- other than that being smart could get you there. She wanted so badly for me to be a part of it. My mom, Yvonne Orduno, thought college was a place for rich families with two-parent homes. For people with power. And for educated folks who used big words. It wasn't for my mom, who considered herself an orphan with a mother 6 feet underground and a father in prison. "It was never knowing I could go to college," she told me over the phone recently.

I was the first in my family to navigate the higher education system. And my passion is to help those students, like my mom and myself, who want to visit another world far from the neighborhoods with struggling schools we grew up in. That's why I've been an active mentor since I graduated 10 years ago from the University of Texas at Austin. I remember struggling to fill out my college applications because my mom, an English speaker with a high school diploma, couldn't help me. I didn't know the difference between university housing and a private dorm. A dean or a T.A.? I had no idea who they were. A fraternity or an internship? I had no clue. And friends with parents who were lawyers, doctors and scientists? Oh my! Yet, I managed to succeed at the university with the help of other students, my Kappa Delta Chi Sorority sisters and recruitment and retention staffers.

After college, as a cub reporter in Utica, N.Y., I volunteered at a girls home and started mentoring Natalia. She was about 16, from a broken home and struggled with her weight. I could relate to much of what she was going through and encouraged her to stay in school. I took her to the library, where we set up an e-mail account for her. We watched movies in my tiny, run-down apartment. And then one day, I never heard from her again.

Later, while working in Albuquerque, I signed up with Big Brothers Big Sisters. My "little," Jesse, was 9. Her white mom wanted her to have a Latina "big" in hopes of exposing her to the culture of Jesse's late father. Since I have no kids, Jess was like my daughter. We gave each other manicures. We went to the pumpkin patch, museums and the mall. And I volunteered at her school carnivals and attended her school activities. It was tough to leave Jess after three years when I moved to Salt Lake City in 2005.

We lost touch for a while, but about a year ago, I tracked her down. She got her GED. She's experimenting with her sexuality. And I'll be sending her a birthday card in a few weeks. Almost two years ago, I volunteered for a high school event for Latino students. There, I met Yuriko Martinez and her sisters. One of the program's goals was to establish a mentoring program, but that fell apart. Still, Yuriko and I stayed in touch.

We have volunteered at the Utah Food Bank, the Dream Center and the Ronald McDonald House. We go to art openings, community events and museums. And we hang out at my house talking about girl stuff (yes, boys). Yuriko, the daughter of hard-working Mexican immigrants, wants to be a doctor. I want to do everything I can to help her get through college and later medical school.

I might not have the money to send her, but at least I can share my experiences with her, open doors for her, answer questions and assure her that she can do it. And I hope in the future, Yuriko mentors a young girl, showing her that college is not another world. It's a real place open to anyone ready for a challenge.

As for my mom, it took her about 15 years to earn two associate's degrees in 2006 while working as a full-time Head Start teacher and raising four kids. Now she is raising two adopted kids with her husband and working on her bachelor's degree. I'm so proud she's living her fantasy.

Article courtesy of KDChi, Pi Chapter Alum & SLC Reporter This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . This Article can be viewed at Salt Lake City Tribune.
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Ms. Sanchez's protege' Yuriko Martinez shares a peek into her relationship with her mentor.

'My goals wouldn't be going in the same path' without my mentor
By Yuriko Martinez
Olympus High School Senior
Salt Lake Tribune

I met my mentor, Jennifer Sanchez, at a conference for Latino students. I signed up to have a mentor starting in the summer of 2008. I chose her. Having a mentor is like having an older sister who helps you out with what you want to pursue later on in life, such as going to college and getting scholarships. Jenn has helped me in many things, such as volunteering and activities related to the medical career I plan to pursue.

Jenn has taken me to many places to volunteer, such as the Ronald McDonald House and Utah Food Bank. Every time I do volunteer service, it counts for hours toward a scholarship. It's very helpful when you have a mentor that can take you to places to volunteer because then both of you can give back to the community. When I volunteer, I feel like I am helping other people that need it more than I do.

Other than community service, I have attended several conferences for Latino students that Jenn has invited me to attend. I really enjoyed the event organized by the University of Utah Latino medical students. They motivated me, a Latina, to pursue my goal of becoming a registered nurse and, later, a doctor.

Just as volunteering is important, getting prepared for college is also important, and it takes help to get prepared. Jenn introduced me to Michiko Nakashima-Lizarazo, who works at Weber State University, the school I want to attend next year. I find it easier when you have someone to go to for any questions about higher education. Jenn has introduced me to many people who can help me. Jenn also set up an activity for me with her friend, Roberto Montenegro, a medical student at the U. We visited a cadaver lab, where he showed me the different parts of the body. It was so much fun, and I learned about how hard and competitive it is to get into medical school. But I can do it just as long as I work hard toward it.

Scholarships are very important for me. Jenn has been helpful enough to give me scholarship information. I believe my goals wouldn't be going in the same path as they are now without Jenn. She works hard, listens, serves as a leader and inspires me to work hard.

Mentors are a big help to students. I learned so much from my mentor, and I think a mentor-protégé program is very helpful in obtaining knowledge and being encouraged to go after your dream.
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National Mentoring Month

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KDChi Alum and Avance Graduate becomes Executive Director…

Avance is a program that educates parents with the necessary knowledge of child development and trains them with parenting skills so they can learn how to raise their children in a caring environment.  Bereniz Moreno’s story illustrates how a mother is in a position to have tremendous impact on her child-either positively or negatively.  Moreno is a living testimony to the program and as the executive director of the Avance-Waco program considers it extremely gratifying to see the positive change that happened in her family repeated in other family households.

“The day the Avance recruiter came to our door and talked my mom into attending the program changed my family’s life,” said Moreno.  “My mother was dedicated to our care; however, she would yell and scold us and we felt we were always in trouble, after attending the Avance program, my mom became more affectionate in discipline, more consistent, she would explain why we were disciplined, this in turn made our household peaceful.  My dad encouraged mom in the Avance program, he noticed her attitude with us during discipline, and saw how mom nurtured and encouraged us; thereafter, he always supported her decisions when it came to us,” said Moreno.”For nine months in that first year, my mom, and I would attend the Avance program. 

While my mom attended her weekly classes, I was cared for in an educational setting.  My mom learned basic developmental skills and was trained to monitor our linguistic, social, physical, emotional, and cognitive changes,” said Moreno. “She also attended a toy-making class that taught her how to make educational toys using everyday household items. Avance has a home-visiting component that follows up to ensure the training is provided in the homes, and parents receive personalized suggestions; I remember how that visiting day at my house was so intense because my mom was so invested in the program,” said Moreno.“My mom, through Avance, was made aware of her influential power on us, she was trained to create an educational environment in our home.  She read every day to us and had daily activities for us; we did homework every night, when the school provided none - we still had to do ‘homework’ - lessons my mother had for us. 

My mother knew all my teachers; she was a stay at home mom, so needless to say she was at the school a lot.  At my house, we were taught that high school and college were no longer an option it was a mandate, this was constantly reinforced, my parents made us believe that we could attend college and become anything we wanted,” said Moreno.”Avance helped my mom’s self esteem, before the Avance program, she was very submissive, by becoming involved in Avance, my mom realized that it was important that her children would see her as a woman motivated to get ahead in life.  Avance-San Antonio offered my mom an opportunity to take English as a Second Language (ESL) classes and GED preparation courses,” said Moreno.  “Every night, I would see my mom studying and she would tell me that education and excellence is a lifelong, worthwhile pursuit. 

Through Avance, my mom got her GED and went on to get her cosmetology license,” said Moreno.”Through the Avance training, mom was given clear instructions and training about expectations for us when it was time to enter school,” said Moreno. “From a basis of knowledge, my mom explained why she demanded we do things a certain way and that gave her ‘assumed authority’ to run the household. My dad is  - old school — macho man,” she said. “He is the protector and he has always made the final decision in our family.  However, Avance taught my mom how to be less submissive and communicate around some principles; what will make the kids strong and self-sufficient. 

My mom learned how to mediate and communicate,” said Moreno. Bereniz studied hard and graduated in the top 5% of her high school class, she received both an academic and soccer scholarship offer to Sam Houston State University (SHSU) in Huntsville, Texas.  “When I received the scholarship offer, my dad thought it was too far and did not want me to leave,” said Moreno, “I also received scholarship offers to local colleges, so my dad argued about this point for many a day,” she said.  “I had made my mind up - I wanted to explore my college days living away from home.  My mom supported my decision and became the backbone I would stand behind when my dad would hit that certain pitch,” she said.  “My mom supported me in the final decision and I prepared to leave for SHSU.  The day came when they drove me to school, when we arrived and located my dorm room was when my dad realized the dorms were coed, he was not going to let me stay,” said Moreno.  “You are not staying here with all these boys, my dad said very loudly for everyone to hear.  With my mom’s support, my dad reluctantly left me there,” said Moreno.  “On my college graduation day, when my dad approached me, I remember him saying, ‘you proved me wrong, I thought letting you go would be the biggest mistake, I am so happy to have a daughter that is so successful’ -  I caught a glance at my mom and saw how proud she looked hearing my dad tell me that,” said Moreno.

Avance-Waco was founded in 2002 with financial support from the Bernard and Audre Rapoport Foundation.

Article written by Margie Cintron who has twenty-six years of experience in planning and grant writing for workforce development, community improvement, municipal government, education, community collaborations, small business development, and affordable housing.
link: http://www.findmegrants.com/blog/featured-non-profits/avance/

One of our sisters is desperately ill and is in need of positive, healthy thoughts and prayers. An e-mail and physical address is included for well-wishes.

Kappa Delta Chi Alumna, Carolina Santnder-Enegren, (affectionately known as Cari) of Wichita State University, Alpha Alpha Chapter is desperately ill and needs support. Cari, her husband Paul and her two sons were diagnosed with H1N1 in October. Her family had the virus for about a week and although the rest of the family is now doing fine, Cari is in ICU due to her H1N1 causing pneumonia. She's been in the ICU since October and has been through a difficult time.

There were significant enough improvements in her health so the doctors decided to do perform surgery on her lungs that had a hole in them from being on the ventilator for so long. Our sister has been so strong and let us join together and support her and her family in this time of need.

Get well soon wishes can be sent:
Paul Enegren
2325 N Dogwood Ln
Wichita, KS 67204-5510

**Also, if any sisters out of town want to email any peace wishes for Carolina & her family, they can also email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ***

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Monica Lerma, Beta alum from the Texas A&M chapter of Kappa Delta Chi Sorority Inc., spoke on KBTX Morning News (Bryan/College Station, TX affiliate) about educational events and things to do while visiting the George Bush Presidential Library. She's worked as an Education Specialist at the Library since 2005 and resides in College Station with her husband. ###