Juntos 4-H’er wins National 4-H “Day in the Life” award

Contact: Dr. Melinda Garcia, 210-631-0400, melinda.garcia@ag.tamu.edu

SAN ANTONIO — David Tierranegra, a sophomore at Harlandale High School, was presented the National 4-H “Day in the Life” award during the recent Etiquette Dinner in Providence Hall at our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio.

The dinner, part of week-long Juntos 4-H Summer Leadership Academy activities presented through the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, was attended by about 80 people, including program participants, family members and representatives of institutions supporting the program.

Tierranegra won the award through an essay competition among Juntos 4-H program participants in New York and Texas. The essay related to his experience with the Juntos 4-H program, how it impacted him and his family, and what he has learned from it.

As the competition winner, Tierranegra and one parent will be flown to Florida to meet with  astronaut Jose Hernandez. In addition, the Texas Juntos 4-H club will receive $5,000 in funding from National 4-H in Maryland to continue with its after-school programming.

Another student, Jewelianna Flores, also a sophomore at Harlandale High School, received  honorable mention for her essay.

In Texas, Juntos 4-H is administered by the AgriLife Extension in conjunction with New York Life and the Harlandale Independent School District. In Bexar County, the program has 138 youth participants at Armando Leal Jr. Middle School and Harlandale High School combined.

Dr. Melinda Garcia, AgriLife Extension strategic partnerships and engagement program specialist who oversees Juntos 4-H in Bexar County, said the Juntos 4-H Summer Leadership Academy is a week-long college-experience program for Juntos 4-H’ers.

“The leadership academy is held at Our Lady of the Lake University,” she said. “Juntos 4-H participants live and eat on campus, plus receive college-level instruction on subjects from writing and nutrition to science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

At the award presentation, Leo Trevino, program coordinator for Juntos 4-H in Bexar County, told attendees at the event they should “continue to dream” and “inspire and motivate one another.”

“Juntos means ‘together’ and we have to work together to succeed,” Trevino said. “A lot of Latino communities are low-income or lack resources, so we have to band together and support one another. You also have to remember to take time to dream and think about what you might be able to accomplish.”

Tierranegra said he used to only be interested in athletics when he attended Leal Middle School — until he saw a flyer about the Juntos 4-H program.

“Something told me to try it,” he said. “Now I’ve been in the program three years and it has really helped me expand my interest in academics and in going to college.”

He said through the program he has been able to visit college campuses like the University of Texas at San Antonio and Texas A&M University in College Station.

“I’ve also been able to learn about a variety of topics and develop some life skills,” he said. “The program got me out of my comfort zone and helped me find out how I could be part of something bigger.”

The Juntos 4-H program helps Latino youth and their families gain the knowledge and skills needed to reduce the possibility of dropping out of school while helping bridge the gap between high school and higher education, said Jack Froude, account manager with National 4-H Council and an event attendee.

“The program is a collaboration of the National 4-H Council and New York Life Foundation and uses curriculum provided by North Carolina State University, Froude explained. “It emphasizes access to higher education along with family engagement. It also exposes participants to real college experiences and helps them discover and employ their leadership abilities.”

Garcia added the Juntos 4-H program is a “family outside the family” that provides minorities with experiences and opportunities they wouldn’t otherwise have. She also noted appreciation for the additional $5,000 received from National 4-H to continue Juntos 4-H programming and hoped others would see the value of the program and help support it financially.

Manny Loredo, a partner in the New York Life office in San Antonio, who attended the event, said the Juntos 4-H program “exposes young Latinos to the possibility of a better life.”

“I grew up in this part of town and there weren’t a lot of opportunities for Latinos,” he said. “But I wanted to go to college, so I got a loan and worked three jobs in order to get my degree. Now, thanks to the Juntos 4-H program, Latino kids are getting the chance to experience what college life is like and see what they can become if they apply themselves.”