This year, the UnidosUS 2024 annual conference at the MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas, NV, was a landmark event, gathering 1,500 Latino leaders and advocates from across the country. During the conference, AVANCE was honored with the UnidosUS 2024 Affiliate Award for Advocacy in recognition of our proactive and impactful advocacy efforts and an Affiliate 50th Milestone Anniversary Salute, highlighting our half-century of dedicated service to Latino communities.
While in Las Vegas, we also had the privilege of celebrating our 50th anniversary with our community of supporters and fellow affiliates, reflecting on AVANCE’s past accomplishments and the strong partnership we’ve built with UnidosUS as we work together to empower Latino communities and drive significant social change.
One of the conference highlights was the session titled “Building Power: Empowering Latine Communities Through Higher Education.” Alejandra Ozuna, Associate Director of Communications, found this session particularly impactful. “It was a revelation for me,” she said. “It delved deep into the significant challenges that Latine students face, particularly financial barriers that obstruct their access to higher education. The discussion also explored effective strategies to make higher education more affordable and accessible, which is crucial for empowering our communities.”
The UnidosUS conference was a vibrant celebration of unity, inspiration, and advocacy, which resonated deeply with our team, inspiring them to continue their impactful work. Marisol Lua, Senior Graphic Designer at AVANCE, shared her experience: “Attending UnidosUS gave me the inspiration to continue working to make a difference in my Latino community. It was informative, inspirational, and full of love, empowering me to continue my passion for helping my community and creating positive social change. ¡Unidos hacemos la diferencia!”