Guiding Lights for Young Latinas

The word in Spanish is ganas, meaning desire or determination. And Mimi Birch, assistant principal at Estancia High School, wants her Latina students to get it.

“If they have ganas, they will make it,” she said.

That was the theme for a weekend conference, “Adelante, Mujer Hispana,” or Forward, Hispanic Woman, aimed at motivating young Latinas by introducing them to positive role models, Birch and other organizers said.

Birch invited six women, all immigrants now successful in their fields, to tell their stories to about 100 Latina mothers and daughters, most of modest means.

The conference, included students from across Newport-Mesa Unified School District in both high school and adult education programs.

Birch said she has a particular interest in reaching out to Latino students, who make up 53% of Estancia’s enrollment.

“I couldn’t have chosen a better group of speakers to empower the girls,” Birch said.

One of those on the program was Margarita Avila, 40, a Newport Beach therapist. “I was them 20 years ago,” she said of the teenagers. “I was a little lost. There were no role models. . . . You’re going to be the trailblazer, as I was, and be the first to go to school.”

Another speaker was Pat Garcia-Velasquez, 30, a Nicaraguan granted political asylum in the United States when she was 14. New to Orange County, she worked in a Seal Beach fast-food restaurant and studied English in the library at night. Today, she is owner and president of a mortgage company in Santa Ana.

She urged very recent immigrants at the conference to make learning English a top priority.

The women’s stories, told in Spanish and English, were greeted with nods of understanding in the audience.

“You usually don’t hear of Latina role models,” said Janet Cardena, 16. “The backgrounds they talked about . . . I could relate.”

Isabel Rodriguez, 17, was grateful that her mother, also named Isabel, was invited. “Most of the girls don’t say thanks to their moms, even though we have what they never had,” Rodriguez said.