Brotherhood for the Fallen Dallas

During his college years at the University of North Texas, Dallas (Oak Cliff) native Jose De La Rocha served as college pen pal/mentor to my bilingual students as part of our Discover College Life project. Last week, I opened my classroom storage closet door and found his entire childhood collection of Goosebump books he generously had donated to my students during our annual Christmas pen pal gathering at Washington Heights Elementary. Jose De La Rocha also served as a tour guide during our visit to the University of North Texas campus. His passion and commitment to our project will be never be forgotten. 

https://checkout.square.site/buy/QMJZOQ44S6KIZOJJTLDY3TMR

VIRTUAL VIDEO MESSAGE FROM HOME

Streaming Live on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/DiscoverCollegeLifeProject/videos/578567833074248/

Bellisimo, un abrazo and adelante!

-Mariela Nunez-Janes, PhD

UNT Professor and Director of Graduate Programs Anthropology

Thank you for sharing. Kudos to everyone involved. Warm regards,

-Valerie Martinez-Ebers, PhD

University Distinguished Research Professor

Director, Latino and Mexican American Studies

UNT Department of Political Science

Muchas gracias por compartir. Veo que BESO estuvo bien representado por Maria Martinez y Jazmin Mendez. También reconozco a Yaritzi Becerra, una de mis ex alumnas y recién graduada de una maestría en UNT

-Rossana Boyd, PhD

Principal Lecturer and Director of Bilingual/ESL Education Programs

UNT College of Education

What an inspiring video. Students, you are born leaders at this frightfully challenging time. You will always take the high road and we will follow you to better times. God bless.

-Dr. Gloria Contreras, Professor Emeritus

UNT College of Education

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Our Discover College Life Project is thinking about you and your families at Dolores Huerta Elementary, Fort Worth, Texas. We want to challenge you to try new things from home. Explore new places, and adventures by reading books. Use your imagination and creativity by writing an original story. Be artistic by painting your dreams for the future. Dream Big. Take care. Cuidense todos.

CREATING A VIRTUAL VIDEO MESSAGE

Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, our annual DCLP field trip to the University of North Texas was canceled this year and our project created a virtual video message from home in hopes of bringing comfort and encouragement to our students and their families at Dolores Huerta Elementary during this challenging time.  

Special thanks go out to the following participants for taking the time to design and create their messages from home: Maria Martinez and Jazzmine Mendez, UNT BESO (Bilingual Education Student Organization) Ricardo Beltran, Elsa Jimenez, Regina Castro-Perez, UNT SHPE (Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers) Fernando Sanchez, UNT LULAC, Jasmine Ibanez, UNT Staff/Student Financial Aid/Scholarship Office, Ignacio Luciano, UNT APO (Alpha Phi Omega) Sandra Aranda, Nayely Martinez, and Yaritza Becerra (UNT Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc.) Caleb Morales and Bianca Mujica, UNT alumni (Active Minds) Lizbeth Acosta and Nathaly Contreras, TWU alumni (Sigma Lambda Alpha Sorority, Inc.) Alex Gallegos and Juan Loya, UNT alumni (Lambda Theta Phi Fraternity, Inc.) Jose Romero, UNT alumni (Sigma Lambda Beta Fraternity, Inc.) Eva Ribota, UNT alumni (ALAS: Association of Latin American Students) and our mentor Dr. Gloria Contreras, UNT faculty from her home in El Paso, Texas.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KRq9BTom98gvZJ1OvaP7-G54NOhjGgB_oDrp3hL_GPM/edit?usp=sharing

A GIFT FOR MRS. HUERTA

A beautiful picture book hardcover copy of Duncan Tonatiuh's Separate Is Never Equal (based on the life of Sylvia Mendez and her family's quest to end segregation in California) was signed by our Discover College Life project pen pal alumni table: Emanuel Velasquez, Melisa Escobedo, Alex Gallegos, Nathaly Contreras, Noel Ribota, Eva Ribota, Brenda Zuniga, Jessica Leonides, Mary Briseno, Lizbeth Acosta, Johanan Bustamente, Azucena Camargo, Maria Martinez, Nancy Fuentes and presented to Mrs. Dolores Huerta on her birthday celebration at Celeste Hall. 

A THANK YOU NOTE TO DR. CONTRERAS

Special thanks go out to Dr. Gloria Contreras for sponsoring two tables for our Discover College Life project pen pal alumni at Dolores Huerta's Birthday Celebration Fundraiser event in Fort Worth and Rose Herrera, former FWISD school board member and community activist for organizing this special birthday party in her hometown of Fort Worth. Dr. Contreras was recruited to the University of North Texas in 1987 for her strong background in multicultural and social studies curriculum. In 1989, she was appointed the first Director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs where she was charged with creating and implementing a plan for recruitment, retention, and graduation of minority students and faculty. As a result of her successful initiatives, over 20 student organizations are actively operating across campus today at the University of North Texas. Ms. Huerta turns 89 this year. 

DEAR DCLP

How wonderful and inspiring this project was for me. Not only did it inspire me to support my child to achieve her goals of a higher education, but also this project has motivated me to continue my education and set an example to my daughter. My favorite experience on our field trip to the University of North Texas campus this year was when professor Dr. Calderon described the Latino history of the university, adding his Spanish interpretation of UNT as UNETE. Let us all unite in helping our children achieve their goals of attending a university. Let us be their supporters in their journey in becoming our future doctors, lawyers, nurses, and teachers.  -Mrs. Gomez, Marina's mother

CONVERSATIONS AND LUNCH

A BEAUTIFUL, PERFECT DAY

WINTER PARTY Parent Night

FALL CARNIVAL College Volunteers

ACTIVE MINDS UNT Student Organization

Special thanks go out to UNT college students Caleb Morales and Nicholas Stiltner for their technical support during our Discover College Life project awards show at Dolores Huerta Elementary last Friday night. Caleb Morales(Biology major), Bianca Mujica (Journalism major) and Nicholas Stilner (Ecology major) were also recognized for their participation in this year's project. During the course of the evening, their pen pals Ruby, Ivan and Juan presented them with a certificate and a bouquet of white daises, beautifully created by Ruby's mother at home for this special occasion. Bianca Mujica is a huge advocate for mental health and is currently the President of Active Minds, a student organization at the University of North Texas. Click the following link to preview Bianca's  project work for one of her Journalism courses at UNT. https://discovercollegelife.wordpress.com/