The Organization of Latin American Students (OLAS) traveled to Chicago for the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute (USHLI) conference to meet global Hispanic leaders and celebrate Latin heritage.

USHLI, according to their website is a “Chicago-based national, nonprofit, non partisan, tax-exempt organization, and a member of the Board of HACR, the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility, and NHLA, the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda.”

OLAS President, Kerry Portillo-Lopez said, “OLAS members had the opportunity to attend important workshops where they learned valuable skills for themselves, for OLAS, for their own organizations, for their future career, and much more.”

Liliana Marquez, OLAS member and legal students major, said that this year was the second USHLI conference she attended, and that she was grateful to have had the opportunity to go again this year. She said, “I was able to network with different students from all over the nation, as well as representatives from different companies.”

Portillo-Lopez believes that this conference is an important opportunity for OLAS students because it “gives UIS students the opportunity to gain the skills needed to become a great leader as well as learn more about the Hispanic culture.”

It is because of conferences like USHLI that OLAS has been able to bring speakers like, Carlos Ojeda, Andres Lara “The Cuban Guy”, and Jimmy Cabrera, among many others to the UIS campus to speak with all students about Hispanic heritage and leadership.

Manuel Gomez, sophomore business administration and global studies double major and active member of OLAS said, “I think this event was an incredible experience for myself as it helped me to learn how to be a real leader in today’s competitive world.”

Last semester OLAS brought former alumna, Christina Martinez to campus, who is very involved with USHLI. Portillo-Lopez said involvement like Martinez’s is important for UIS students, because of the growing Latino population at UIS.

Portillo-Lopez explained that the conference offered opportunities to meet with important leaders, including former California Supreme Court Justice Cruz Reynoso. She added, “Reynoso was the first Chicano Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court.”

Marquez said, “The speakers and workshops overall were amazing. Your background does not define your future, you yourself, define your future. With an education and a strong mind-set, one can accomplish anything. Si se puede. (Yes We Can).”

This year, 16 UIS students had the opportunity to attend the USHLI 2014 National Conference. This conference is held every year in February.