CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A Charlotte nonprofit is celebrating 15 years of seeking solutions to help change the lives of young Latinas.
Circle De Luz is a unique mentorship program that works with girls from middle school through high school, often helping them to be the first in their families to go to college.
Since 2008, almost 50 young women have been a part of Circle De Luz. Many of them have gone on to college and impressive careers -- a path they say is thanks to the local nonprofit.
Leyla Larios Acosta is a freshman at Central Piedmont Community College. It's something she never imagined was possible when she was growing up.
"This program has impacted my life a lot," Acosta said.
Acosta is a member of Circle De Luz, which mentors young Latina girls with the goal of helping them further their education beyond high school. One in five Latinas doesn’t finish high school and just 19% of Latina women have a college degree.
"My mom and my dad, they both didn’t finish elementary school and my brother, he just got to high school, because due to DACA and papers, he couldn’t continue his further education," Acosta said. "I was looking into going to college but I didn’t know the route of how to get there or the steps you had to take to get there."
Courtney Zuniga has been Acosta’s mentor at Circle De Luz since middle school.
"It's been very neat for me to see, because I've been involved with the organization for so long, just how far some of our girls have made it," Zuniga said.
One of Zuniga’s other mentees is now 25 and went to Emory University on a full scholarship.
"When I first started joining the organization, the girl that I was helping do college 101, which was just literally the applications into her schools, she has now spoken at the White House, she is an incredible executive at Deloitte, she’s travelled globally and she's really making an impact on her family, but also her greater community," Zuniga said.
Zuniga believes part of the success of Circle De Luz is that the mentorship goes beyond the basics, exposing the girls to unique experiences and working with their families as well.
"It's just really changing people's lives, it’s a very neat organization," Zuniga said. "I think watching how long we're with these girls really makes a difference. I’ve been involved in several mentorship capacities and Circle De Luz is unique in how long they stay with these families."
The organization is hosting a special fundraiser gala to mark its 15th anniversary, "in true quinceañera fashion." The event will take place at Project 658 located at 3646 Central Avenue, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Those interested can register and buy tickets on the Circle de Luz website.
Contact Michelle Boudin at mboudin@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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