The Villager
February 3, 2005

by Joshua Cole

Donna Rodriguez thought she was a diverse and accepting person during her sophomore year. She was a Latino, but she could fit in with everybody else, and she was tolerant of everybody. During her junior year, when some friends told her about the Cherry Creek Diversity Conference, she was eager to go, and when she heard of a leadership opportunity on the committee she jumped at the opportunity.

Rodriguez was finance co-chair last year and this year was elected as committee co-chair. After spending just a little time on the committee, she found out the narrowness of her views. Even while she was co-chair during the conference this year, she was still learning new ideas about diversity.

"My friends were rambling on and on about how great it was," said Rodriguez, an Eaglecrest High School senior. "They talked about how much they learned and all the people they met. I wanted to be a part of it, and I wanted to have the same experience they did. . . Before I came to the committee, I felt I was a very accepting person. I felt passionate, but I wasn't understanding. I met people that were gay who were so different from each other. After my first year doing that, I had to see people as human beings [rather] than the stereotypes. A click went off in my head."

At the 12th annual Cherry Creek Diversity Conference on Jan. 29, Rodriguez was master of ceremonies. She walked gracefully throughout the day in a business suit and heels. At the beginning and end of the day, she introduced speakers and performers. During the event, she popped in and out of workshops and discussions, stopping to talk to students.

"Everyone I seemed to talk to was pleased. If they weren't happy to be stuck in there, they were very educated, they came out with something they didn't know," Rodriguez said. "People were very interactive with each other. Some people you could see on their faces. New ideas were being lit in their mind--our goals were met."

As co-chair, Rodriguez was involved in every aspect of the conference. Beginning in September, the committee met every Monday at Cherry Creek. Rodriguez and Theresa Daniel, the other student co-chair from Rangeview High School, stayed for about five hours each Monday and planned on Sundays as well. Regular members of the 30-student committee came for only two hours each Monday.

Rodriguez did all of this while taking rigorous classes, acting as a vice president in DECA, being a leader and mentor in the Link Crew, and participating in dance and choir.

"This is on a purely volunteer basis. There's no credit other than pure satisfaction of doing our job," Rodriguez said.

As co-chair, she became a valuable leader, able to manage logistics (some repeat conference participants told Rodriguez it was one of the best and well-run, Rodriguez said), deal with stress (including workshop moderators who cancelled up to the day before), and maximize efficiency among her co-workers.

"Dealing with a rowdy group of teenagers, that's what I had the most problem with," Rodriguez said. "We're all friends. I wanted to ask 'What are you doing this weekend?' but I had to say, 'Do work.'"

Rodriguez plans to study marketing at Johnson and Wales University, focusing on fashion merchandising. Staying in Denver, she plans to continue to work with the conference committee and spread diversity.

"I'm going to be a part of this committee until they kick me off," she said.

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© 2005 The Villager. All rights reserved.

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