Living Legends dancers swirled across the stage of Sharon Elementary School, sharing their culture and college experiences with students.
Multicultural Student Services organized the event to motivate the children, many of Hispanic origin, to plan for college.
“We wanted to do something different,” said Maritza Smith, a student coordinator for Multicultural Student Services. “We wanted to reach out to the community.”
Smith shared her experiences growing up Mexican in a predominantly white Utah community.
“I didn’t know I was different until I encountered racism. I started to doubt myself,” Smith said. “I had a hard time reading, I was labeled ‘one of the dumb kids.'”
With the help of a concerned teacher Smith learned to read, excelled in school and received a scholarship to attend BYU.
“I was just a normal girl who worked hard and didn’t give up,” Smith said to the students. “You may spend your whole life with people who tell you [that] you can’t do it. I’m here to tell you [that] you can.”
Members of Living Legends performed traditional dances and talked about the importance of college in their lives, and the obstacles they overcame to reach their goals.
One dancer told the children she went to college because she wanted to be an FBI agent like Sandra Bullock in Miss Congeniality. Once she started class she found other things she was interested in, and now wants to help people with their taxes.
Briana Gonzalez, a senior graduating in Latin American studies, told children how much she loved college.
“When I was a little girl I knew I wanted to go to college,” Gonzalez said. “College is the best time of my life. And you get to make a difference in the world.”
Katherine Willis, a student coordinator majoring in Latin American studies, told children about Multicultural Services college preparation program.
“You can take classes before you even go to college to get ready,” Willis said. “If you don’t know what to do, there are people who will help you.”
Students talked about what they wanted to be when they grew up and what it would take to achieve their goals.
Multicultural Student Services gave away BYU T-shirts and tickets to La Fiesta, a show case of Latin American dances, on March 22.
