LAUP’s 16th Annual Youth Development Conference took place on February 17th, 2026, at Hope College. Over 600 students from 12 different school districts attended the event, which MillerKnoll sponsored.
Year after year, starting in 2010, Latin Americans United for Progress has held a Youth Development Conference. In it, 8th to 12th grade students in the region can explore what their future holds. This year, over 600 students gathered at Hope College to partake in “YDC” and get access to a college and career fair, diverse workshops, and a remarkable keynote speaker.
The conference started at 9:00. Ashley Rodriguez, LAUP’s College Access and Family Support Specialist, took the stage to welcome everyone. She thanked MillerKnoll for being YDC’s Title Sponsor and introduced Rubi Garcia, their representative, to share a few words. Later, Ashley presented Jacqueline Ruiz, the inspiring speaker, who talked about her journey as a Latina pilot, author and entrepreneur.
Jacqueline’s story of perseverance and, ultimately, great success, was a perfect showcase of the conference’s theme: We Can, And Together We Will. Even while facing extreme hardship, “Pilotina” continued to move forward and believe both in herself and others. Now, as an established career woman, she works on uplifting others and helping them believe in themselves. “Landing in your dreams is mandatory”, Jacqueline says. LAUP believes self-belief and community support are the way to accomplish that.
After the keynote address, students were released and split into groups to explore what the conference had to offer. Throughout the day, attendees got access to a college and career fair, workshops, lunch, an activity with Hope College Admissions, and even a dance battle.
College and Career Fair
From 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m, the College and Career Fair took place at DeVos Fieldhouse. Schools such as Ferris State University, Grand Rapids Community College, and Western Michigan University, amongst others, attended. On the career side of things, large employers such as Magna, Gentex, and Lakewood Construction were present. The City of Holland, Herrick District Library, and the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office made an appearance as well, creating a valuable mix of private and public employers.
At LAUP’s table, students were able to engage with the staff, get Mexican candy, and win giveaways. They also had fun testing their Spanish knowledge with a “Sabo o No Sabo” game that earned them corresponding pins. There was music, dancing, information, and fun.
Workshops
While half of the students were at the College and Career Fair, the other half was attending workshops. 11 hosts lead their own, relevant, inspiring workshop, with the goal of motivating our youth while relating to what is going on in their lives. Jacqueline Ruiz, the event’s keynote speaker, stuck around for a Q&A. As a result, students opened up and had meaningful conversations.
Each workshop featured community leaders who could bring something important to the youth’s attention. Whether by gaining skills or getting insight into their present and future, the purpose was to provide them with useful, lasting resources.
Conference Wrap
The Conference ended at 2 p.m., once all students had eaten lunch and participated in Hope College’s “Midday Fun with Admissions”. To wrap YDC up, Edgar Mandujano, LAUP’s Youth Programs Coordinator, shared some of his story and brought the conference to a close by inviting students to participate in a dance battle.
“We sincerely hope every student who attended walked out of here having learned something valuable”, Andrea Bonilla, LAUP’s Development & Communications Specialist, shared. “We will take everything that we learned from today to keep making YDC even better each year”.
