A promising high school student with a difficult home life felt he had no place to turn during the pandemic. His grades slid and he battled depression. A field trip to NC State’s College of Natural Resources, managed by El Vínculo Hispano (The Hispanic Liaison) and funded by Wonderful Options, provided this would-be first-generation college student with hands-on activities that helped him envision a career in agricultural education. Hispanic Liaison’s Orgullo LatinX Pride Youth Program guided him to resources; he soon caught up on his studies and successfully entered college. Now a sophomore at NC State, he intends to return to Chatham County to teach at the high school level, according to Youth Leadership Program Director Selina Lopez.

The 2021-22 Women of Fearrington grant to El Vínculo Hispano helped underwrite 15 educational and community service field trips for 58 LatinX high school students, 36 from Jordan Matthews and 22 from Seaforth.