Dear PON family:

This year over 250 parents, youth, and children participated in PON’s Latino Family Summit at Pomona College! Families came from Bellflower, Compton, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Lynwood, Norwalk, Pomona, Rancho Cucamonga, Rosemead, Upland, and Whittier. 

We celebrated our Latin American culture throughout the day by breaking bread, enjoying music, and learning together! Parents and youth learned from their peers about navigating the education system and monitoring student learning, the college admissions process, and leadership development. 

Special thanks to all PON members that promoted the event and to Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District’s Migrant Education Program and Lynwood Unified School District for coordinating parent and youth participation from their districts!



Araceli Simeón

Executive Director

All youth 12 to 18 years of age participating in a workshop received a ticket at the end of the presentation they attended and had the opportunity to win one of five academic bonuses, which were selected at random. The $500 academic bonus promotes saving and investing in costs related to supporting the student’s high school or college education, which may include paying for extracurricular activities, tutoring, high school graduation-related expenses, or college/post-secondary education-related expenses. 

This year’s winners are:

• Amanda Stephanie Garcia from Long Beach
• Allison Castro-Limón from Pomona
• Edelyn Morales from Upland
• Paola Coyotl from Highland Park in Los Angeles
• Grissel Rayos Aldana from Rosemead

All students intend to save the academic bonus to pay for college. Their interests range from pursuing majors or careers in business administration, chemistry, epidemiology, ethnic studies, and the United States Marine Corps.

The academic bonuses were sponsored by:

• Faviola Fernández
• Carolina Pérez y Nancy Villarreal
• Edgar Daniel Morales, HC Linen
• Gente Organizada
• Latino & Latina Roundtable of the San Gabriel and Pomona Valley

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Martina Rodríguez, Lynwood SOS

María Daisy Ortiz, Concilio de Padres de Highland Park

Yesica Limón, Gente Organizada

Olga Gonzalez, Plaza Comunitaria Our Lady of Victory in Compton

Martha Cota, Latinos in Action

Karina Lopez-Zuñiga

Gabriela Mitchell, NAAAPY

Nancy Villarreal, LAEP

Roberto Fonseca

Maricruz Sanchez, Lyndwood SOS

SISTER ORGANIZATIONS

• Consejo de Federaciones Mexicanas (COFEM)
• Latino & Latina Roundtable of the San Gabriel and Pomona Valley
• Parent Engagement Academy
• Pomona Pride Center

LOCAL VENDORS

• Yosi's Bakery & Catering
• Three Bees Baked Goods
• Mariachi Cielito Lindo

EVENT SPONSORS

To sponsor the 2025 Family Summit, which will bring Black and Latino families together, please contact Araceli Simeón at asimeon@parentnetwork-la.org.