May 19, 2010

Perseverance and adherence to an ingrained work ethic has led Alejandro De la Fuente to success as a student and athlete at Texas A&M International University. These traits, combined with a clear vision of his long-range goals, are a strong indication that De la Fuente is just beginning a journey that will lead to some amazing accomplishments long after he graduates and departs TAMIU.

A starter in each of his two seasons with the Dustdevil men's soccer team, De la Fuente is an integral part of one of the toughest defenses in the Heartland Conference. As a scholar, he is an honor student pursuing a bachelor's degree in systems engineering with a minor in business administration.

Considering his determination to succeed, it is not surprising that De la Fuente is one of six TAMIU students selected to participate in the Latino Leadership Initiative (LLI) at Harvard University this summer. The LLI will be hosted by the Center for Public Leadership (CPL) at the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) from June 12-18.

Students from five universities across the nation will participate in this inaugural program. De la Fuente is the only student-athlete among the 28 participants of the inaugural LLI class.

Established to help development the next generation of Latino leaders, the LLI will offer classroom sessions, presentations from distinguished leaders and networking opportunities. Intended to meet the varied aspirations of all the participants, the program will offer interaction with leaders from the non-profit, business and government sectors.

The impressive lineup of distinguished guest speakers includes former U.S. Presidential Cabinet members Henry Cisneros and Carlos Gutiérrez along with Boston Consulting Group managing partner Roselinde Torres.

Cisneros served as U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Bill Clinton and Gutiérrez served as U.S. Secretary of Commerce under President George W. Bush. Both have achieved illustrious careers in the public service and business sectors and both are still active leaders contributing the betterment of society.

Torres is managing director and partner of the Boston Consulting Group, one of the world's top consulting firms. She heads BCG's leadership practice

The esteemed David R. Gergen will serve as a member of the LLI's teaching team.

"The Latino community is young and growing and its success is vital for our country. We see this program as an opportunity to develop the talents of the next generation of Latino leaders and help them connect with each other to form a broader network," said Gergen, professor of public service at Harvard Kennedy School and director of the Center for Public Leadership.

"But instead of stealing the students from their communities, our goal is to equip them to have a deeper impact on those communities once they return--and to stay connected with them long enough to ensure that the learning sticks."

"For this vision, and also for the seed money that has enabled us to launch," Gergen continued, "we are profoundly grateful to Walter Ulloa, chairman and CEO of Entravision Communications."

Head men's soccer coach Claudio Arias is not surprised that De la Fuente has been selected to participate in the LLI.

"There is no doubt in my mind that Alex is going to succeed in whatever path he chooses to pursue," Arias said.

"He provides an example of hard work and dedication that I would like all of our student-athletes to follow. I'm proud of the leader that he has become and I look forward to what lies in the future for this outstanding young man."

De la Fuente does indeed have big plans for the future. In addition to aspiring to a career as a systems engineer, the Alexander High School graduate plans on establishing a non-profit organization dedicated to helping students in his home town strive for educational excellence.

"A lot of young people from Laredo achieve an education and leave town for good but I am planning on building a career here and doing all I can to help our youth live out their dreams by gaining a quality education," De la Fuente said.

As for the immediate future, De la Fuente is excited about immersing himself into the learning community that the LLI will provide.

"This is a tremendous opportunity to interact with other students who have aspirations similar to mine. I plan on making the most of it and I hope to build relationships that will last a long time into the future."