The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) swept all three awards at the LULAC Young Adult/Collegiate Chapters District III Convention held earlier this month in Plano. Nine other chapters from local universities competed for the honors.
Victoria Neave, president of the UTD chapter, a government and politics major in the School of Social Sciences and student body vice president, was awarded LULAC District III Young Adult Woman of the Year. Juan Solis, chapter vice president and mathematics/education student, was recognized as the LULAC District III Young Adult Man of the Year; and the entire chapter received the LULAC District III Young Adult Council of the Year award.
The group’s accomplishments include raising $10,000 in scholarships for UTD Latino students, establishing a free SAT preparation course at two Dallas Independent School District high schools, lobbying in Austin on higher education issues, registering new voters, mentoring underprivileged Latino children, adopting poor Latino families during the holidays and hosting local and national Latino officials and leaders visiting UTD.
The students will compete at the Texas LULAC State Convention in San Antonio in June. A win there would places them in the running for the National LULAC Young Adult Awards at the 76 th Annual LULAC National Convention in Little Rock in July.
LULAC’s mission is to advance the economic condition, educational attainment, political influence, health and civil rights of the Latino population of the United States.