Yvonne Rodriguez, a senior double majoring in political science and sociology from Hot Springs, will receive the award during an Oct. 13 gala celebrating the achievements of students in LULAC.

鈥淚 feel extremely honored to receive the Student of the Year Award,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his award is special because I am being honored for representing my culture and helping other people in my community and my fellow students at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock.鈥�

Her life is dedicated to serving and helping others in multiple roles. At 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, Rodriguez serves as a Student Government Association (SGA) senator and chair of the SGA鈥檚 Trojan Action Group, outreach director for the Young Democrats, a secretary for the International Simulations Association, and a student ambassador for the College of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences, and Education.

Rodriguez has been involved in LULAC for the past three years and became president during the spring 2022 semester. She鈥檚 been working hard to reenergize the student organization after COVID. Bringing back several in-person events, recruiting new officers, and establishing a constitution are just a few things she鈥檚 taken on in her time as president. Her efforts have been successful, with membership growing from around 20 to more than 40 students in the last few years.

鈥淲e鈥檝e doubled our membership since I first joined LULAC,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e are trying to do a lot of things for the students. Right now, we are working on several events with the Multicultural Center to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.鈥�

Once she graduates in May 2024, Rodriguez plans to take a gap year where she can gain experience working at a law office or for a judge. She plans to go to law school where she can specialize in family and immigration law.

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糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock was awarded the Overall Outstanding Delegation Award for their representation of the country of Qatar.

鈥淲hen we arrived, we were told we would not have the numbers to win a school award,鈥� said Owen Haynes, a sophomore political science major from White Hall. 鈥淒espite this, and because of the outstanding performance of each of our six students, 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock won the highest award for a school at that conference. This means that we were all taking advantage of parliamentary procedure, writing resolution papers, creating diplomatic relationships, giving impromptu speeches, and for some of us holding leadership positions within our councils.鈥�

The Model Arab League is a student leadership development program created by the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations. It is a simulation of an international organization, the League of Arab States, which represents 22 countries.

Dr. Rebecca Glazier, faculty advisor for Model Arab League, said this was an amazing achievement for the students since only a small team of students competed, and they were two members short of a full delegation.

鈥淭hat is like winning a basketball game with only four people on the court,鈥� Glazier said. 鈥淚 am so proud of them!鈥�

糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock students who attended the competition and their committees and individual awards include:

• Owen Haynes, Summit of Arab Heads of State, Outstanding Delegation Award
• Chloe McGehee, Council of Arab Environmental Affairs Ministers, Outstanding Delegation Award
• Caleb Mimms, Council on Political Affairs, Outstanding Delegation Award
• Lamar Townsend, Council of Arab Economic Affairs Ministers, Outstanding Delegation Award
• Jack Schlotter, Joint Defense Council, Distinguished Delegation Award
• Yvonne Rodriguez, Council of Arab Social Affairs, Outstanding Delegation Award

Rodriquez, a junior from Hot Springs, said her council discussed important issues like mitigating water insecurity, especially regarding women and refugees, exploring minority populations鈥� access to education and social mobility, and the rising rates of internally displaced persons throughout the region.

鈥淢odel Arab League is a great place to hone skills like public speaking, collaborative team tasks, and writing,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a good place to refine those skills, and it鈥檚 an amazing place to meet other students around the country! I have truly enjoyed my time and have been honored to work with this team that has only strived for excellence.鈥�

Caleb Mimms, a junior political science and international studies major from Cabot, said that he loves Model Arab League because it gives him the opportunity to learn something new about a region that he previously did not know.

鈥淲e get to break down specific problems and how these problems affect current events within the region, and thus the world and our perception of it,鈥� Mimms said. 鈥淚 also get great practice for what I would like to do in the future, and that is diplomacy. I have a lot of passion for working with others to find solutions to some of the biggest problems our world faces. Finding solutions that help everyone is extremely important and something I get to practice in the Model Arab League.鈥�

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The next Woman to Watch at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock of 2023 is Yvonnne Rodriguez. This Donaghey Scholar is a first-generation student who plans to go to law school, practice immigration and employment law, and become a judge.

Tell us about yourself and your background.

I am originally from Hot Springs, Arkansas, and I moved to Little Rock once I started my undergraduate degree at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. I am a first-generation college student. My family is from Oaxaca, Mexico, and when I can, I go every summer to see my family and engage in my culture, and eat amazing food, of course. I graduated from Lakeside High School in Hot Springs, AR.

What brought you to 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock?

Once I graduated from high school in 2020, a year that now lives in infamy, my future was very rocky in terms of wondering if I could still go and pursue any type of post-secondary education while COVID-19 was running rampant throughout the country and the world. I settled on 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock because of the opportunities that were presented. I wanted to be close to my family just because COVID-19 put into perspective how little time we have in this world, especially with our loved ones. I also chose this university because of the academic scholarships that were offered, like the Donaghey Scholars Honors Program.

What is your major?

I am pursuing a B.A. in Political Science and Sociology and a certificate in business management and world languages in Spanish.

When will you graduate, and what do you plan to do after graduation?

I will be graduating in spring of 2024. My hope is to take a year off to set up some passive income for myself before I apply to law schools across the country. Once I do apply to law schools, I hope to practice immigration and employment law. After a couple of years practicing law, I want to run for a judge’s seat in Arkansas.

What activities are you involved in at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock?

I have been part of the Peer Mentor Program for two years dating back to the first year that it was piloted at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. I get the opportunity to serve as a guide for mentees by sharing my own success and setbacks as a college student. When I first joined, it was not surprising that many mentees needed help with getting through the year, and it helped giving the mentees one-on-one support.

Another activity that I am involved in is LULAC. For those who don鈥檛 know what LULAC is, it stands for the League of United Latin American Citizens. I joined last year as a member and could feel the fellowship and community LULAC is able to bring to Latino students. I am now serving as the president of LULAC council 771 here at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. It was a great honor, and I am looking forward to seeing what the future holds for our club and how we can be involved in not only 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock but also the Little Rock community.

I am also part of the International Studies Association and serve as the secretary for the club. Our club travels all over the U.S. and competes with other schools in a debate and speech setting. We have competed in Model UN and Model Arab League and are an award-winning team.

Another club I am immensely proud of being a part of is the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Young Dems. I serve as the outreach director, so if you are interested in joining, please do not hesitate to contact me. I have been part of Young Dems for about two years.

I am also currently serving as a senator at large for the Student Government Association here at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. I have been in this position for two years, and I want to continue working to bring positive change for the benefit of all the students.

What are some of the exciting projects that you are working on at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock?

One of the projects I am currently working on is developing a central hub of information for students to access to participate and be involved in volunteer opportunities around campus and the city of Little Rock.

One of the projects I am partnering with students – Lamar Townsend and Arisha Ishtiaq – deals with helping 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock international students and their H1-B Visas. This is a fantastic project that I was introduced to by Lamar and Arisha, and we will be planning on having workshops for international students and employers to understand the H1-B Visa process and give each group the resources they need to complete this lengthy process successfully.

The last project I am working on for this year is completing my Sociology Capstone Project/Donaghey Final Project. I am excited about this project because it not only deals with tough immigration topics but it deals with human participation, which is much more engaging. My project will study the Push and Pull Factors of Oaxacan Immigrants in Arkansas.

What woman has inspired you the most and why?

Everyone probably says this, but my mother is the woman who has inspired me to reach my full potential. My mother is one of the strongest and most resilient women I know. She came to this country without knowing the language or knowing anyone and came with nothing. She left all she knew behind to give my family a better opportunity in life. If she can do it, I can do it. I see what she has accomplished even after going through so much in her life.

I admire the courage and the sheer determination of her willingness to succeed in life despite the odds stacked against her. I respect her work ethic above all else. You need to have a drive in you to make something of yourself and the determination to keep working hard for your goals.

What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders?

Don鈥檛 be passive. Of course, always show respect and be kind to others. I want more women to be aggressive, ask questions, and always be persistent in life, especially in our careers. I don鈥檛 ever want women to back down, be shy, or be overly polite just to appease men in higher positions no matter what. Don鈥檛 be afraid of your own strength, speak up, and make sure your voice is always heard at the table.

Name something about yourself that most people would be surprised to learn

I do not eat cheese. I do not like the yellow American cheese, whether that is on cheeseburgers, mac n cheese, or dipping. I like it on pizza, but not on anything else. Also, I try to bring a jalapeno with me when I go out to eat just because I am afraid a restaurant might not have anything spicy or any salsa.

What is your favorite quote and why?

鈥淪uccess is its own reward, but failure is a great teacher too, and not to be feared鈥� by Sonia Sotomayer.

Not only do I love this quote because it comes from a woman that has made great strides for women in our federal courts but also because I truly believe that this quote is the essence of how we live and learn in navigating this crazy world. Yes, success is amazing and what everyone should try for, but failing is a great teacher because it showcases how resilient you are to failure. If you get hit 10 times, it matters if you get up again after each time.

The world is a tough place, but a tough environment breeds tough individuals. I agree with this, and I think it’s important for everyone to not fear the failure that will inevitably come, because if you are able to overcome failure, there is no need to be afraid of failure. But if you have never failed, and you fail once, you might never recover due to sheer fear. Keep at it no matter what. Cause if you stop, you would not only have failed but failed yourself.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

I have recently been hired to work in the House Communications department at the Arkansas State Capitol. It has been an eye opening experience to say the least. I get to see first hand how representatives represent their constituents on a daily basis.

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