CENTRO HISPANO PRESENTS
FIESTA HISPANA 2008
ENTERTAINMENT SCHEDULE11:00am En Viva Faith Based Music
12:00pm KawsayMusic of the Andes
12:30pm Brisas del Peru Traditional Peruvian Dance
1:15pm TBA
2:15pm Mariachi Sol LatinoMariachi Music
3:30pm Son MudanzaSon Jarocho
4:30pm Sonidos SuavesRancheras, Boleros, Cumbias
5:15pm Boliviamante Traditional Bolivian Dance
6:00pm El Clan Destino Latin Jazz
7:15pm Los Guerreros del Amor Banda Duranguense
8:30pm Fuego Latino Salsa, merengue, Bachata
All acts feature local musicians.
Children’s activities from 12-5pm
Teen Activities from 5pm-9pm featuring Lucha Libre
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Monday, July 21, 2008
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
“Believe in yourself”
Omega School, a non-profit community organization providing preparation for the High School Equivalency Diploma (HSED) and General Education Development Test (GED), has been serving students since 1972. Students at Omega School come from a variety of backgrounds and have each faced different challenges preventing them from obtaining a high school degree.
Oscar Mireles
Providing an alternative to a traditional school setting, it’s Omega School’s
goal to overcome these obstacles with tailor-made programming and one-on-one instruction.
Omega School is led by Executive Director Oscar Mireles, whose no-nonsense approach and tough love has enabled many students, both young and old, to obtain their GED or HSED. But for Mireles, Omega School shouldn’t be the last stop for his students. He views the school as an “access point” for his students to go on to bigger and better things. In other words, Omega offers a much-needed opportunity for students who struggled in high school to finally succeed, and hopefully, go on to pursue a more advanced degree.
One such student, Andrew Xiong, will graduate from Omega School this June. It is no small feat for this 18-year-old. Xiong, the son of Hmong refugees who fled Laos to avoid persecution, lost his mother at the tender age of three. Raised by his father (who is now remarried) on Madison’s south side, Xiong struggled at West High School from the very beginning.
“I wasn’t doing so great in high school,” he admitted. “I really screwed up my first year and had to repeat my freshman year.”
He admits that a big part of the problem was his social circle.
“I hung out with the wrong crowd,” Xiong said. “A lot of my friends skipped school. Attending everyday was a really hard thing for me to do.”
It got much harder for Xiong when he fathered his first child, a daughter now seven-months-old. He is “culturally married” and his girlfriend attends school at Work and Learn. She is also a participant of Operation Fresh Start, an in-depth program that trains struggling youth in housing construction and rehabilitation. She hopes to one day pursue a degree in nursing.
As young parents struggling to start a life, a traditional high school setting simply wasn’t a good fit for the busy couple. For Xiong, that is where Omega School came in. After a failed stint at Work and Learn, Xiong was close to giving up hope that he would obtain a high school degree or equivalency. Even his experience at Omega School started off rocky.
“I didn’t show up my first week,” Xiong admitted. “But, right away, I got a call from Oscar.”
Staying true to form and putting his tough love techniques to work, Mireles wasn’t taking any excuses. For many students, it is precisely that extra push that helps them complete the Omega School program. It is, indeed, what finally helped Xiong succeed. After his first encounter with Mireles, he made sure to fulfill his hourly requirements at Omega each week. In just two months, he was able to pass the tests required to obtain his HSED.
“Omega School really gave me everything,” Xiong said. “They’re really great people [at Omega] and they make sure you do your work.”
Most importantly, Omega helped Xiong believe in himself.
“I really gained self-confidence,” he said.
At Omega, that is a crucial piece to their educational outlook. They don’t want their students just walking out with a piece of paper; they want them walking out with a renewed sense of hope and self-confidence. School instructors and staff members work hard to create an environment where students feel comfortable and
supported. Many come to Omega feeling incompetent; Mireles and his team hope to restore their self-esteem.
There is no doubt that they were able to accomplish this goal with Xiong. No longer dubbed a high school drop-out, Xiong is ready to move on to bigger and better things. He plans to attend Madison Area Technical College this Spring.
About graduating, he simply said, “I’m really happy, man.”
Omega School graduates 75 in 2008
By Pamela Gates
With tears, whoops, hollers, and vigorous applause, Omega School's class of 2008, along with their families, their friends, and school staff and supporters, celebrated the achievement of 75 new GEDs (General Education Diplomas) or HSEDs (High School Equivalency Diplomas). The event — and it definitely was an event — took place in the Doyle Administration Building auditorium on June 18.
Omega School Principal Oscar Mireles, whose care for the students was obvious as he called each one forward and said something personal about him or her, emceed. Madison School Board member Beth Moss cheered the grads on, and CUNA Mutual's Steve Goldberg, who, Mireles said, "got more excited about Omega than I do!" presented a $1,000 Growing in the Right Direction scholarship to Destini Marshall.
Tom Swenson and Emily Kitzerow received $500 Founders Scholarships from a fund started by Steven Freedman and Toby Emmer, who established Omega GED Preparatory School 35 years ago. Precious LaShore received a $500 ROXY Spirit of Compassion scholarship.
Mireles invited many of the students to say a few words. Their comments and those of the official class speakers bear out some of the tremendous challenges these young people have faced and are facing as they become adults in our society. They also bear out the importance of a program like Omega in helping them meet these challenges and move on with their lives.
"It took me 16 years to come back [to school]," student speaker Aisha Redus said. "I went to Omega for two years … No matter how long it takes," she advised, "keep on striving!"
Lewis Olson acknowledged that he should have graduated years ago. He tried Omega in 2000, but wasn't able to stay with it. This time, in 2008, "when Oscar called to say I'd passed, I, too, broke into tears … We need nudges in our life. This program is a blessing."
"I started back in 2005," said Zack Lindrin, another student speaker. "… This past year, Oscar said he'd give me one more chance … You can achieve anything you want to achieve," he admonished his fellow grads, no doubt echoing Oscar's words to him over the years. "… Keep going, and do whatever you need to do to get ahead."
Student speaker Caitlin Pearl of DeForest encountered health and many other problems in high school, but enrolling in Omega got her through. "I thank Oscar for all the crap he gave me," she declared.
Student speaker Brianna McKnight thanked her daughter for keeping her motivated and the Omega staff for "encouraging me to keep my head up, because it will all work out for the best."
Student speaker Brittany LeMoine thanked her family — her mom, her friend, and most of all her son, Wyatt. "I wanted to show him that school's really important. I thank Oscar for encouraging me."
Before the ceremony, Brittany had told this reporter that "this is my [official] graduation year, and I'm really, really happy. Omega was easy for me, because I was able to bring my son. (Omega provides on-site child care). I only started going in March. I found a job shortly after starting at Omega."
Student speaker Michael Volt said: "I wasted about three years not going to school consistently. Now I have my GED, and I haven't been in trouble for a real long time. Now I work for a living. … Quit making excuses, and make it happen," he advised his fellow grads.
Mireles invited Shalonda Hilliard-Jones to the podium, declaring that "she always had something to say." The young mother used the opportunity to say "thank you to Oscar for pushing me, and to my sister, my grandma, my friends — especially Amanda [Von Behren, another young mother among the grads].
Founders Scholarship winner Emily Kitzerow, who will attend Madison Area Technical College (MATC) in the fall, declared that "Omega taught me how one organization could make such a difference in one person's life."
Roxy Spirit of Compassion scholarship winner Precious LaShore, who will begin studying veterinary medicine in the fall, said, "first of all, I have to thank God. I thank my boyfriend, my sister, my aunty, and my cousin Toni for always being there." Precious was accompanied to the podium by her mom, who had shouted "That's my baby!" as the scholarship winner was described anonymously a few moments before.
"I give our students opportunities to have enough chances to fail until they find success," Mireles interjected at this juncture, to which grad Sarah Barr responded, "There he goes, pushing people again."
"Every once in a while we have students we butt heads with," Mireles commented as he introduced another student. "I kept telling her she could."
Said grad Da'Rell Fowler, a young man Oscar had described as "quiet": "He pressured me."
Stated grad Amanda: "I skipped school a lot; got in the wrong crowd. I thank Omega for keeping me on the right track … I want to thank my family for not giving up on me."
And that truly says it all: Omega is a place where those who might be given up on can prove themselves, finding the support they and their families need to achieve the crucial goal of a high school diploma.
For more information about Omega School, which is located at 835 W. Badger Road on Madison's south side, call 256-4650. The graduation was sponsored by the Altrusa Club of Madison.
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Julio Jaramillo
I'm not sure if you knew that our Cousin, Julio Jaramillo, passed away on Sunday morning. (6.22.2008)
His Parents are Juan & Juanita Jaramillo.
Juanita Jaramillo (Maiden name - Martinez) is Daughter to the late Francisco & Esther Martinez.
Esther Martinez (Maiden name - Bocanegra) was Sister to our Grandmother: Aurelia Bocanegra Mireles.
I'll include a link to his Death Notice from the Racine Journal Times if you'd like to include this in the Mireles Blogspot.
Thanks Oscar, your Cousin ... Marisol Patena
Jaramillo, Julio
RACINE - Mr. Julio Jaramillo, 31, passed away at his home on Sunday morning, June 22, 2008. Julio Jaramillo was born in Racine to Juan and Juanita (nee: Martinez) Jaramillo on March 22, 1977, and had lived in Racine all his life. In Racine, he was united in marriage to Julissa Gutierrez on January 27, 1996. Mr. Jaramillo was a member of Cristo Rey Catholic Church. He was employed by Grove Gear for the past five years. Julio was a very happy and enjoyable person. He always was a jokester. He was the baby of five siblings and he was always the favorite uncle because he was still young at heart. Julio was very loyal to his family and friends. He was a very responsible and dedicated father, a perfect dad. His children meant the world to him. He loved his children and cared much for his nieces and nephews. He enjoyed spending time with his family, especially during family gatherings and family sporting events. Julio is survived by his wife Julissa; his five children, Taliah, Maya, Jaydon, Nallely, and Elianna; his parents, Juan and Juanita Jaramillo; his mother-in-law, Socorro (Rafael) Santillan; his father- in-law, Silverio Gutierrez Sr.; three sisters, Virginia (Steve) Krueger, Yecenia (Javier) Ortega, and Letisia (Jesse) Morones; one brother, Juan J. Jaramillo 'J.J.'; six sisters-in-law and four brothers-in-law, Erika Gutierrez, Vanessa Gutierrez, Silverio Gutierrez Jr., Javier (Lourdes) Gutierrez, Norma Gutierrez, Sendi (Jose) Contreras, and Maria (John) Escobar; 14 nieces and nephews; and numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends. He was preceded in death by his cousin, Jose Ricardo Rico. Relatives and friends may meet with the family for visitation at the Wilson Funeral Home on Thursday morning, June 26, 2008, from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. Private services for the family only will follow. Interment will be held at Calvary Cemetery. Memorials to the family have been suggested. WILSON FUNERAL HOME 1212 Lathrop Avenue 634-3361 www. wilsonfuneralhomeracine. com
Published in the Racine Journal Times on 6/25/2008.
Notice • Guest Book • Flowers • Gift Shop • Charities
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
