Con Mi Madre

Community Matters) Joined Janet Harman and Jennifer Esterline on a KDK Foundation site visit yesterday to talk with staff and adult participants in Con Mi Madre, until recently a Junior League program established in 1992 as the Hispanic Mother-Daughter Program.

The program increases Hispanic women’s participation in higher education through middle and high school support for young women and their mothers. Over 1,800 mother-daughter teams have gone through the program with 70% of its 478 graduates graduating into higher education. And, the program has awarded over $100k in college scholarships to 117 young women. Quite touching to hear from 7 mom’s what the program has meant to their daughters, themselves and their families.

I’ve long heard of this program since Cookie Ruiz helped launch it in Austin while she was Jr. League president. She still serves on the all-star board along with Karen Kahan (pres.), Bobby Garcia, Laura Wolf, Sylvia Acevedo, MariBen Ramsey and others. Enjoyed meeting and impressed by Con Mi Madre staff including executive director Sandy Segura Alcala, Sonia Castellanos and Leonor Vargas.