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“People think leaders are born, not made.” says youth activist Celina Villanueva. “Sure, there’s charisma, but leadership skills can be learned, and developing them is something [essential].” In her mere 23 years of age, the recent graduate of the University of Illinois—Champagne-Urbana knows of what she speaks. She has been actively involved in her community since her early teen years, and social involvement has always been a priority in her family.

Throughout her college years, Villanueva organized students on campus, helped plan a Latino youth conference, and led in the creation of a mentorship program to familiarize high school students with college life. Given her school’s somewhat rural location in a corn crop area of Illinois, migrant workers make up a substantial portion of the community, Villanueva says. “Over time, we’ve seen that some families have stayed and rooted themselves in the community,” she says. Unfamiliar with the resources available and the workings of the college system, many of their children don’t see themselves as potential college students, Villanueva explains. There are also undocumented students attending college who need assistance obtaining legal status.

“We planned events to bring the high school students to campus, and not just in a superficial way. We really want them to be immersed and to expose them to the university. We want them to see students who look like them here and to feel comfortable on campus,” Villanueva explains.

She attributes her ability to organize and act on ideas to her involvement in the National Council of La Raza’s (NCLR) Líderes Initiative, the youth program designed to increase the number, capacity, and influence of young Latino leaders in the Unites States. At age 15, Villanueva attended her first NCLR Annual conference. “For the first time, I felt like I was around people who understood my passion, understood what I was doing. There were educated people my age doing the same things in their community. It was welcoming. We bonded. It felt like home,” she recalls.

In 2005, she returned to the NCLR conference through the Líderes Summit, a youth-oriented track of the annual event, as a staff member. Working with students, she experienced first-hand leadership training and participated in hands-on projects that put the students’ new skills to work. “We receive a lot of constructive criticism, which helps you learn about yourself and about who you are doing it for. These are skills you don’t learn in school that you can bring back home,” Villanueva says.

“NCLR has the expertise and breadth of network that will help youth be effective leaders in their communities,” says Berenice Bonilla, NCLR Líderes coordinator. “Through this program, NCLR helps mobilize youth in three effective ways. First, we provide a national network through which students can connect with other young leaders and share information on each other’s initiatives. Secondly, we provide capacity-building assistance to groups that are actively seeking to improve opportunities for young Latinos… Lastly, NCLR Líderes convenes youth around issues particularly important to our young generations—education, immigration reform, healthcare, campus activism and civic engagement—through our Congresos (regional conferences) and, of course, though our annual NCLR Líderes Summit at the annual conference.” She adds that most attendees cite the Summit as being “one of the most thrilling and life-changing events they’ve ever experienced.”

Villanueva agrees. “Líderes has helped me in every possible way,” she says. “It taught me how to execute events, how to be more organized, how to train volunteers, about financial planning…” Bernice describes Villanueva as a model youth leader. “She immediately impressed me by calling and offering help with the planning process. Líderes opened up many doors for her—an opportunity which she has maximized and utilized to become an exemplary young Latina. Celina is a great example of an active youth that can utilize the resources our program provides in order to make a powerful mark in her community,” Bonilla says.

After graduating in May, Villanueva began working as a health educator with the NCLR Affiliate, Illinois Migrant Council, and she plans to pursue a PhD. “Líderes has really influenced what I plan to do with my life. I want to see the program grow and for more programs like Líderes to come out,” Villanueva says.