Written by: Lupita Castañeda-Liles, Caminos al Futuro 2024
What a busy day with my bowling buddies!
I applied to Caminos al Futuro expecting to gain knowledge applicable to a lifetime of learning. However, I gained much more. I’ve acquired a lifetime of memories and friendships I always dreamed of. When I was younger, I longed to be part of a large group of friends, to go out, have fun, and feel accepted. Though we are only halfway through this experience, the bond we have formed is feels like a lifelong friendship.
This morning, I have to admit that I overslept. Thankfully, my roommate Divanny (make sure to read her blog) woke me up. My cohort and I spend the morning at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, where we visited many exhibits. We couldn’t explore all them because First Lady Jill Biden was at the museum, and every area that she visited was blocked off.
Despite the wide array of displays, there was still a noticeable lack of Latino representation. In our debrief, we discussed how institutions often confuse Latino representation with Latin American representation, focusing more on countries rather than the people and their stories. After this realization, we lightened the mood by taking the Metro and heading to lunch.
Since we were late due to the unexpected First Lady appearance, we ate lunch while learning from Communications Manager Johanna Cajina and Cisneros Scholar Marko Sanchez on how to make an appealing presentation. Then, we had a lesson from Cisneros Executive Director Dr. Vaquera, who introduced us to more statistics about Latinos youth in the US. We wrapped up our class with a visit from Caminos alumna Eda Garcia, who serves as Deputy Press Secretary for Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV). Eda shared insights about her experience working alongside influential people and offered tips on remembering names and effective networking.
Now, all this sounds like a lot of work, but don’t worry-- we have our fun too! After class ended, the girls and I went to Starbucks to get drinks and chismiar. After our little session, we headed to the bowling alley for an adventure. Even though everyone was having fun, the competition was real! Personally, I think I won (I only scored 33 points). We took lots of pictures, played a couple rounds, sang along to songs blasting on the speaker and ate pizza! It was an incredibly fun night and perfect way to unwind after a busy day.
Caminos is the perfect mix of learning and fun, especially with a group like mine. I’m grateful for the opportunity to be here and I would do it all over again if I could. If you have the opportunity to apply, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT! You have nothing to lose and endless memories to gain!
Lupita Castañeda-Liles is a 2024 Caminos al Future Scholar. Lupita’s views are her own and not necessarily reflective of the Cisneros Institute.