Santa Fe — The thought of changing one person’s life has been enough to keep Lucy Valenzuela striving to work and lend a hand to the Latino community.

In May 2009, Valenzuela, 20, became a part of Latina’s Learning to Lead program.

She was one in 22 women in the United States selected to participate and was chosen out of 200 applicants, and attended various workshops Washington D.C. for eight days in June.

“When I do something positive for the community, I want every Latina or Latino to feel it and be impacted,” said Valenzuela, who is currently a senior at the University of New Mexico .

Participants met with the Department of the State and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute.

“With the opportunities I’ve had, I now realize I would love to work with the Department of State in Foreign Affairs,” she said.

Latinas Learning to Lead is part of an even larger organization called National Hispana Leadership Institute, the Summer Youth program promotes and fosters the development of young college-age Latina leaders through leadership training, and technical and practical experience, during a one-week comprehensive curriculum program, according to its website.

Session topics included resume writing, interviewing skills, effective communication, presentation skills, public policy issues affecting the Latino community, and other professional and leadership development topics, including a Clifton StrengthsFinder session at Gallup University, financial literacy and a technology component.As part of the commitment, participants must somehow impact 25 individuals lives through a community project.

“My idea is opening up an after-school program in Albuquerque where I will be able to mentor the youth, [and] with the help of my sister I think I will be able to accomplish this,” she said.

NHLI was created in was created in 1987 in response to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Glass Ceiling Initiative, after it was found that, while minorities and women were making substantial gains in entering the workforce, they were not equally represented at the mid- and senior-levels of management in government or corporate sectors.

The NHLI is the only national leadership development program in the United States focused on future Latina leaders.

“Something stuck with me that was said at the conference, that I will forever remember,” Valenzuela said. “When I shine, you shine.”