ŷַ

Skip to main content

This year’s workshops center of leadership development, cultural celebration, and the practical application of faith-driven hope and joy in Hispanic communities.

Round 1: Wednesday, July 30, 11:45 a.m. 

Location: Parmer 002
Presenter: Shannon Wimp Schmidt - TenX10 Collaboration

As an ecumenical collaboration focused on evangelizing younger generations, TENx10 sees great hope in sharing the good news of Jesus through ecumenism and the wisdom of BIPOC communities. To foster leadership, TENx10 draws on Latino/a traditions of teología en conjunto and the shared leadership and synodality of comunidades eclesiales de base. In this session, participants will engage in theological dialogue using TENx10’s ecumenical model.

Location: Parmer 004 
Presenter: Tony Pimentel - Haciendo Caminos Fellow, Santa Clara University

In a world where suffering is real yet often silenced or repressed, many are discouraged from sharing their trials, fears, and pain. Yet Christ invites us to embrace our crosses, not in isolation, but in communion with Him and one another. Through His life, death, and resurrection, Jesus models a radical vulnerability that redefines strength and opens the path to healing. This workshop invites one into an honest space to reflect on one’s own experiences and how faith might offer a new way forward: not alone, but together.

Location: Parmer 005
Presenters: Megan Sical, Yordalys Garcia, Dylan Padilla, and Elvira Garcia – St. John’s University

Turn passion into action. Participants will learn, step-by-step, how to build a welcoming communidad that embraces all while celebrating la cultura y fe. Undergraduate and founding student leader Megan Sical, Yordalys Garcia, Dylan Padilla and Campus Minister Elvira Garcia will share practical tools, shared stories, and core values to help you start and grow Hispanic Ministry at your respective campus and/or community! 

Location: Parmer 107
Presenters: Danielle Rangel, Sydney Reyes, Bella Rojas, Nicolas Urbina, Noah Villafranco - St. Mary’s University Chapel Choir 

Students from the chapel choir at St. Mary's University in San Antonio, TX will share what cultural aspects and practices have helped make the Eucharist a meaningful experience for the Hispanic campus community.

Location: Parmer 108
Presenters: Victor Martinez Macias ‘26, Maidrilim T. Vasquez Lopez ‘26, and Marwa Abdullah ‘26 - ŷַ

This workshop will highlight strategies to help student-led initiatives build a solid foundation, a cornerstone for Hispanic/Latinx heritage and culture that is inclusive of all Latin American identities. Student leaders of the Organization of Latin American Students (OLA) will share how they built inclusive, resilient, and joyful spaces by curating impactful programming that honor ancestry, identity, faith, and the full diversity of Latin American countries and traditions.

Location: Parmer 113
Presenters: Yessy Hernandez and Susy Saltijeral – ŷַ

ŷַ centers student leadership by addressing systemic barriers through culturally responsive support. This session highlights initiatives from the Center for Cultural Liberation and TRIO Student Support Services (Division of Student Success and Engagement) that uplift First Generation, historically marginalized, Pell-eligible, and mixed-status students. Through peer-led cohorts and mentorship, these programs cultivate belonging and empower students to lead from their lived experiences. Grounded in the ŷַ Sinsinawa tradition and our motto Caritas Veritas—love and truth—these efforts reflect a holistic commitment to justice, community, and transformative educational leadership.

Location: Parmer 212
Presenter: Flor Ordoñez - Loyola Marymount University

In a world that often demands we choose sides—racially, culturally, linguistically and with our faith—those of us with mixed roots live in the gray spaces. These in-between places are often framed as sites of confusion or contradiction, but they are also powerful spaces of innovation, connection, and resilience. "Nuestra Realidad / Our Reality" invites participants into a conversation that centers the lived experiences of people whose identities span multiple cultures, languages, faiths and lineages. Rather than seeing our hybridity as a limitation, this talk explores how our mixed realities equip us with the tools to navigate complex societal issues—race, migration, belonging, faith and cultural continuity—with nuance and empathy.

 

Round 2: Wednesday, July 30, 3:30 p.m.

Location: Parmer 002
Presenter: Elisabeth Román - Instituto Fe y Vida

This workshop is a bold and Spirit-filled invitation for young people to rediscover their call to be signs of hope in a world wounded by division, fear, and indifference. Rooted in the Church’s ancient tradition of Jubilee—a time of renewal, mercy, and liberation—this session explores how pilgrimage is more than a journey to sacred places; it is a journey of the heart, a radical encounter with God, self, and community. Through profound dialogue, participants will awaken to their identity as “Pilgrims of Hope” and be challenged to live a faith that walks, listens, heals, and transforms. This is not just a seminar—it is a call to mission.

Location: Parmer 004
Presenter: Tshombé Brown - University of Portland

Have you ever felt like you're “just another student leader”? Like you’re blending in, even when you’re doing your best to stand out? That’s what we call being trapped in a mar de lo mismo, a sea of sameness. This workshop is your invitation to break free.

Magnetic Distinction is the bold, joyful expression of who you truly are: your story, your cultura, your faith, your quirks. It’s not about becoming something you're not. It's about owning your esencia -- what makes you unforgettable — and letting that shine in how you show up as a leader. In this interactive session, we’ll uncover the parts of you that are already magnetic, but maybe hidden under years of trying to fit in. You'll learn how your personal alegría, language, background, and passions are not obstacles; they’re your superpowers.

You’ll leave with:

  • Clarity about your unique leadership identity
  • Language to describe your poder personal (personal power)
  • Tools to inspire others through your authentic voice and vision

Because when you're fully tú mismo/a/x, people don’t just follow you; they remember you, trust you, and believe in the future you’re helping create.

Location: Parmer 005
Presenters: Maria F. Villanueva and Erica Hernandez – Haciendo Caminos Fellows, BCSTM and Santa Clara University

Focusing on undocumented and first generation, Hispanic/Latino students in Catholic HSIs, the presenters will offer an introduction of mental health and recent trends in research among college students. They will contextualize the data and research, using a trauma informed care framework, and will offer strategies for college campus ministry settings.

Location: Parmer 107
Presenters: Ingrid Bustos Aleman ‘25, Haciendo Caminos Fellow, Boston College Clough School of Theology and Ministry and Rosa I. Padilla Rincon ‘24 - ŷַ  

With the rise of anti-immigrant sentiment, it is important to highlight stories of hope and resilience, particularly for the undocumented community. The presenters will focus on storytelling as a form of community building to uplift the undocumented community and inspire a feeling of togetherness. They will highlight tools needed for campus and ministry leaders to create a safe environment for undocumented students via the incorporation of faith and openness. The presenters will also share written works, both their own and of other undocumented individuals in order to provide a deeper understanding and connection.

Location: Parmer 108
Presenter: Darius Villalobos – National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry

As “DEI” (diversity, equity, and inclusion) efforts become polarizing and even banned in many places, it may seem easy to want to give up. However, there are many opportunities to help rethink our approach to these values from a Catholic lens. The values of diversity, equity, and inclusion are indeed Catholic values rooted in scripture and Catholic social thought. This session will explore ways to reframe DEI from a Catholic lens as well as to see how infusing these efforts with a faith context can make these values more transformative for our communities and our people. 

Location: Parmer 113
Presenter: Andrés R. López - University of Dayton

Have you ever sat down to have a cup of cafécito with Jesus? This workshop offers an accessible, incarnational and deeply cultural experience. 

Through a guided prayer that involves one’s senses and intentional presence, participants will share a moment of contemplation and intimacy with Jesus: over a cup of Café de Olla (or tea). This experience seeks to open a space for inner encounter, active listening, relationship building, and connection with God and with our cultural identity.

Cafécito con Jesús, un espacio de oración contemplativa con sabor a comunidad.
Cafécito with Jesus, a space for contemplative prayer with a taste of community.

Location: Parmer 212
Presenters:  Angelica Garcia-Ponce, Mafe Aguilar Vargas, Jeffrey Villalta Jimenez, and Cristobal Garza Gonzalez Ph.D. - Goshen College

As active members of an institution that “transforms local and global communities through courageous, creative and compassionate leaders”, and is committed to “cultivate joy, growth and purpose, preparing students to thrive in life, leadership and service” (GC Mission Statement), LSU leaders “create and support a vibrant community that celebrates our heritage and strengthens cultural pride among Latinx students on campus.”

During this roundtable, students will share their experiences and personal stories of collective achievement, challenges, and transformational learning with an emphasis on leadership and service.