LOGAN — The Latino student population within the Logan City School District was the focus last week on Logan School Superintendent Frank Schofield’s monthly appearance on KVNU’s For the People program. Schofield said the Latino population is well-represented in the district.
“Our Latinos in Action (LIA) club started a number of years ago at Logan High. But it has grown from a relatively small group of students to something that provides significant opportunities for leadership development and service opportunities within the school and the community by our Hispanic/Latino students. We have a club at Logan High School, we have a club and a class at Mount Logan (Middle School),” he explained.
Schofield said for him it’s an outstanding example of young people in the community coming together to grow individually but also give back to the community in some really concrete ways.
LIA advisor and teacher Jeff Brimhall, who has been at Logan High School for 21 years, said he got involved with the club six years ago.
He said it’s a club and a class with five classes at Logan High. He said it serves to give those students a voice.
“Well the class really entails getting the kids their voice, like you said, I love how you mention that. That’s really what we want is our Latino population in the school is growing and there are so many amazing leaders (and) workers.
“These young men and women are a big part of what make Logan High great. And in the class time we have opportunities to divide up into committees, there’s leadership opportunities, these committees work on specific projects throughout the day for their class,” Brimhall explained.
Also on the program was Varely Garcia, who is a high school junior. She said she first heard of Latinos in Action in middle school.
“We had just little talks with our future counselors for high school, and she told me that Latinos in Action was an opportunity that I could take, like, this class. I didn’t have extremely big expectations, but once I got to know everybody and Mr. Brimhall, I just feel like this class/club really opened so many opportunities for me.
“It really got me going, I feel like this is sculpting out a path for my future,” she said.
She said the experience has made her days at the school so much better and that she can be herself and it’s given her confidence. After high school, Garcia wants to pursue a career in health care.
Another teacher and LIA advisor is Evelyn Porras who was born and raised in Mexico City. She said that fellow advisor Jeff Brimhall trusted in her expertise, so she agreed to take the challenge not knowing what Latinos in Action was.
“I am so impressed by the youth because they have done it for 3 years or so since middle school? I will invite the community to, if they could, they could come and watch one of the classes and see how the students are becoming leaders in every aspect. It challenges them, it invites them to think out of the box,” explained Porras.
She said that it invites students to develop their talents as leaders. Porras said that they learn they have to be good listeners because they have to work with a group and have to adjust to new ideas, and they are willing.