Local students participate in leadership conference

Students from Huntington Beach High School and Fountain Valley High School were among 300 to attend the third annual Latino Youth Leadership Conference at the Coastline College campus in Garden Grove.

The program was developed by the college in partnership with the Orange County chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens.

A former world-champion boxer kicked off the day Friday with a keynote speech.

“I always knew that if I got a title [in boxing], someday I could lose that title,” Carlos Palomino said. “But, if I got a college degree, that’s something no one could ever take away from me.”

Palomino said that being told “no” was a motivator for him to prove them wrong.

The students then chose from several breakout sessions, including one called Ethics in the Media that was hosted by journalist and author Gustavo Arellano and filmmaker Alfredo Lugo.

For more information, visit coastline.edu/lyc.

— Candice Baker