Sigma Lambda Upsilon/Senoritas Latinas Unidas Sorority, Inc. congratulates the 2010 Cacique Award recipients. The awards are presented at our Annual Founder's Day Banquet and are designed to honor the Hermanas and Chapters, both Undergraduate and Graduate/Professional, that have exemplified what it means to be an Hermana in the areas of Community Service, Leadership, Sisterhood, and Academic Excellence. 

We commend all nominees and winners for their hard work and dedication to the sorority and their communities. 

SISTERHOOD

Undergraduate Hermana: Yahaira Toribio  

Graduate Professional Chapter Hermana: Diagneris Garcia

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

Undergraduate Hermana: Delia Fernandez   

Undergraduate Chapter: Alpha Nu

Graduate Professional Chapter Hermana: Stacey Terrell

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Undergraduate Hermana:Cenia Tejeda

Undergraduate Chapter: Alpha Iota

Graduate Professional Chapter Hermana: Heidi Lopez

Graduate Professional Chapter: Theta Alpha

LEADERSHIP  

Undergraduate Hermana:Leila Viera

Undergraduate Chapter:Alpha Gamma

Graduate Professional Chapter Hermana: Vanessa Cruz

CHAPTER OF THE YEAR

Alpha Nu

Name, Chapter, Pledge Class: Jatnna Amador, Alpha Iota, Spring 2008

Company you work for: Travelers Insurance in Boston, MA

What is your position?
I am an Underwriting Intern. As an intern, I am learning all about the insurance business (trust me, there is a lot to learn), and the responsibility of underwriters which include acquiring new businesses, networking with potential clients, assessing risks on property, determining a proper premium for the insured, travelling,
trainings, and much more.

How did you land this gig?
I found out and applied to Travelers Insurance through my scholarship program, the Posse Foundation. The Posse Foundation has many career partners that they provide their scholars with. Posse has its own page on www.experience.com where every scholar can apply to the jobs that interest them. Then if the company likes you and believes that you are qualified to work for them, you move on to their interview process. My interview for Travelers was a four hour long interview with four different current employees. I ascertained that I had received the job mid-February and was really excited for the opportunity.

How has your internship/job impacted you?
Being an intern at Travelers is great because of the hands on experience that I obtained; my managers and mentors here expect me to figure out how to write an account by trial and error. I make sure to ask questions that further my learning and I am provided with concise training. Because the structure of my internship I feel comfortable because I can engage in independent learning and do not have someone constantly hovering over my shoulder holding my hand through the entire process.

Any tips for other interns/working professionals?
Always be professional. Be on time because no one wants to hire someone who is unreliable. Also, do not be afraid to ask questions or even ask for more work when you have nothing else to do. Obviously, work hard and come in with a positive attitude, build relationships, but most importantly, ask for feedback throughout your internship (asking for feedback at the end of your internship is too late). This is the only way that you can continue to improve. Finally, at the end of your internship do not forget to thank your bosses and coworkers for the opportunity that they have provided you with.

Although it was an unconventional cause, Theta Theta knew it was worth it.

For four months, the Hermanas of the Theta Theta Graduate/Professional chapter in Washington D.C., Virginia and Maryland raised funds for a scholarship that would be awarded to a young Latina mother going to college.

The Hermanas were given the idea by Jessica Tirado, a recipient of a similar scholarship. In 1998, the Nu Chapter-University gave mothers money for college through the “Madres Award.” Tirado was one of the winners and gave the Hermanas the idea to revive the scholarship. “We had an amazing example of what a young mother can be in Jessica,” said Stacy Terrell, president of Theta Theta. “We knew there was great potential in the applicant pool.”

Always ready for a challenge, Terrell said the Hermanas of the Theta Theta Chapter decided to try to revive the scholarship. The scholarship was important to the chapter because it helped them support Latinas facing difficult obstacles yet continuing to purse a higher education. Fundraisers included everything from a happy hour around Valentine’s Day to donations from other Hermanas.

The chapter teamed up with the Northern Virginia Urban League’s Alexandria Resource Mother’s Program and the T.C. Williams High School to receive nominations and applications for the receipts. Susana Quant was the recipient of the Theta Theta 2010 Book Scholarship. She received the award at the second annual Mother’s Day Brunch, Nuestras Madres. The $300 award was meant to help Quant pay for textbooks this fall.

“Congratulations Theta Theta Hermanas for taking small strides to positively impact our communities and working to increase
the number of women seeking and attaining higher education,” says Mayra Espinoza, supporter of Theta Theta.

Terrell said the chapter hopes to keep the scholarship going and wants to increase the award to $500 next year.

Since graduating from college in 2000, Hermana Liliana Polo has followed her dream to open a school that would serve underrepresented youth. She took the steps necessary and gained the training that in enabled her dream become a reality. In July 2006, Liliana founded The West Brooklyn Community High School, a transfer school serving 200 students who have previously dropped out of school or have become excessively truant, and have made the decision to reengage in the process to achieve a high school diploma. Since opening the school, Liliana has served as the principal. She spends endless hours dedicated to the schools success which she measures in the form of her students’ success.

West Brooklyn Community High is a transfer school with students from grade 10 through 12. The school’s demographics are comprised of 24% Black, 58% Hispanic, 15% White, and 3% Asian. The student body includes 2% English language learners and 7% special education students. Boys account for 45% of the students enrolled and girls account for 55%. The school opened as a transfer school in September 2006 and is co-led by New York Department of Education and Good Shepherd Services. Most students enter the school under-credited and over-age (16 – 20 years of age) and have attended between two to four different schools before enrolling at this school. In other words this is often the last opportunity for many of the students to earn their high school diploma. Students are expected to complete 44 credits and 5 Regents (New York State standard proficiency test) within 18 to 24 months to graduate with a high school diploma. This is no small feat when you consider a majority of the students that enter West Brooklyn Community High School were unable to perform well in a traditional school and enter at a lower than average proficiency level.

The school’s statistics serve as proof of all the accomplishments Liliana has achieved in a short period of time. The school received the top grade, an A for 3 of the 4 graded areas, “Student Performance”, Student Progress”, and “Overall” and a B for the 5th category, “School Environment”. Not only did she outperform many of the other transfer schools she also was able to surpass the achievements of many of New York City’s traditional high schools. Besides providing the tools her students need for graduation, Liliana also works hard to prepare them to continue their education by attending college. “Very strong leadership, shared between the school principal and the Good Shepherd program director contribute to successful student outcomes.” Sue Alton, New York City Department of Education Lead Reviewer, February 2008.