Latin American Association (LAA) and State Farm^® Insurance Independent Agents will host an informational session about how to start a business as a State Farm independent insurance agent; Saturday, Jan. 31, 2009 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. State Farm is seeking bilingual, qualified candidates for independent agent positions in the Metro Atlanta area. Breakfast will be provided for attendees.

Eligible participants must have entrepreneurial interest, be a U.S.

resident and be fluent in English. People with experience in sales,

marketing, or customer service may benefit from this event. Insurance

experience is not required.

When: Saturday, Jan. 31, 2009, 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Where: Latin American Association – Atlanta Outreach Center

2750 Buford Highway, Atlanta, GA 30324

Contact: Jessica Zapata, (404) 982-6897, jzapata@thelaa.org

Almost 2,000 Latino students, parents, teachers, and volunteers rose from their seats to chant “The future is ours!” during opening ceremonies at the Latin American Association’s 9th Annual Latino Youth Leadership Conference. The message was clear for participants: the future was in their hands and each one could make of it their own masterpiece. The upbeat and energetic opening ceremony set the tone for a day that offered interactive workshops, educational information, leadership development and fun.

“The conference opened my eyes to many more opportunities that I have ever seen before,” said Oscar Nieto, a 10th grader from Parkview High School. “I had a good time and the event helped me to get excited and motivated to meet my goals.”

Leadership sessions hosted by the Youth Leadership Institute of San Francisco featured creative monologues and performances by teenagers and young adults who had overcome adversity in their own lives. The youngsters tackled issues such as gang involvement, drug-use and rising above peer pressure to create positive change and be leaders in their own communities.

“I was grateful for having the group come and speak to us and motivate us to become leaders and to speak out,” commented Jessica Pineda, a 12th grader at Norcross High School. “Having the younger speakers was beneficial because it helped us relate their stories with our own,” added Natalia Ding, a junior at Duluth High School.

A pep-squad of volunteers kept spirits high throughout the day, and students had the opportunity to talk to local universities about continued educational opportunities. Parents also attended sessions that gave insight into the college application process, scholarship and financial aid information, and the best ways to help their children reach their fullest academic potential.

“The conference will help us as parents to find the right paths for our children so that they can continue with their education,” said one parent. “The information given during the sessions was clear and concrete, and the scholarship and college information was very useful!”

The Latino Youth Leadership Conference is free and open to the community. If you are interested in getting involved next year, contact Gina Pezzia at 678-205-3151 or gpezzia@thelaa.org.

Source: Latin American Association

This annual event is being held on January 15, 2008, 7:30-9:00 a.m at the The Floyd Room, 20th Floor, James H. “Sloppy” Floyd Building, 2 Martin Luther King Drive, Atlanta, GA 30334

Space is limited, please RSVP by January 9, 2009 to Juanita Rivera at jrivera@ghcc.org or 404-929-9998 ext:228

Though not aimed specifially for Latino/Hispanic community, it is something that is very important for our youth to be aware of in Georgia. Through real-life examples, Ignorance is No Defense explains Georgia laws to teenagers in easy-to-understand language. With a primary focus on criminal laws, Ignorance is No Defense not only describes what the law requires but also teenagers’ rights under the law. Visit http://www.ignoranceisnodefense.com/ for more information.

Vecinos readers are the emerging middle and middle-class Latino families that live in North Atlanta. They are the first and second-generation multi-lingual families that are business people, professionals, leaders and working people.

We’re on our way to launching North Atlanta’s only magazine covering the latino/hispanic community. More news to come…