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E-newsletter #10 - September 2008
Latest News from Robert Renteria

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month!
From September 15th to October 15th, the country will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. Cities around the country are honoring the culture and traditions of Hispanics here in America. Please join me in commemorating the contributions of our brothers and sisters. For a calendar of events around the country, click here.

Leading the March Against Violence on 9/11
The students of East Aurora High School will take part in their annual March Against Violence on September 11, to put a public presence to their desire to end violence. I am thrilled that they have invited me to be the Grand Marshal this year! EAHS has 2,500 students, most of them Latino, and I will proudly join their ranks on 9/11. Click here to learn more about this incredible event.

Proud recipient of the 2008 Making Choices for Excellence Award
On September 15, the East Aurora School Board is going to present me with the 2008 Making Choices for Excellence Award. The annual award is presented during Hispanic Heritage Month to an individual who has gone above and beyond to represent their culture so that students can have accessible role models now and in the future. I am honored to receive the award but it doesn’t take plaques or medals to keep me sending a message to kids. It is those kids who make wise choices that should be honored!

Partnership with J.C. Strong makes a young man’s dream come true
Luis Solorio was entering his senior year at Aurora Christian High School but needed $3,000 for the balance of his tuition. Together with J.C. Strong (Jesus Christ Strong), a not-for-profit organization, we were able to provide Luis with the money he needed. Read the full story here.

Listen to Y Talk Radio
On August 20, I was privileged to be the featured guest on Y Talk Radio, an Internet radio show that addresses the issues facing Generation Y (anyone born after 1980). I spoke with leadership coach Bea Fields and shared both my story and my dream to empower today’s youth to chase the American Dream. Listen to the interview here.

New video is online
If you were unable to attend the Barrio book launch event, check out this short video excerpt!

Around town
Every month, I receive more and more invitations to meet with youth and adults, to share my message of hope for a better future. I love connecting with people and hearing their stories while I share my own.

• I donated 20 books to Aunt Martha’s Lake House in Aurora, a home to children between the ages of 11 and 17 who need extra attention. I spoke to the kids and the staff there on August 14 and saw the need to reach out to children in need of a second chance.
• On August 28, I connected with another group of people who want to change their lives. Mutual Ground provides a shelter for battered women and children. These women were understandably skeptical about me at first. But, I shared my own struggles with abuse, and amidst laughter and a lot of tears, we found that “mutual ground”. I gave them 40 copies of my book. The evening was so emotional that I wept during the car ride home. It was an experience that I will never forget!
• I will be a part of the Hispanic Business Expo on September 18 in Aurora. I invite you to come meet me and share with me your own story!
• On September 25, I will speak at a Unity Reception for Chicago Public Schools at Harvey Olive College. With more than 90 teachers and principals in attendance, I plan on sharing my story and the reactions from the youth around Chicago to my book, with hopes that they will use it in their classrooms. These people work daily with our youth and share the same conviction that I do: we need to provide our youth with positive role models for success!

Bulk discounts available
A great deal of schools in Illinois are underfunded, which is why we are now offering bulk discounts. Many schools have already benefited from using this book in their classrooms, and yours can too. Help make a difference for your students by ordering copies here.

Sponsors:

Our youth are facing tremendous struggles and difficult odds. School shootings and gang violence are affecting all of us. But this is our moment. This is our time. Our time to take a new path for the children we love in this country we love. Everyone deserves a fair shot at chasing the American Dream! I am prepared for this challenge. I am prepared to make a difference. Together we can change the world!

PASS IT ON!
Know some book lovers? Do them a favor and forward this e-mail.

For more information about Robert Renteria and From the Barrio to the Board Room,
Click here or contact Sue Publicover at Writers of the Round Table Press.

Writers of the Round Table Inc.
1670 Valencia Way
Mundelein, IL 60060
224.475.0392
www.writersoftheroundtable.com