8602369253?profile=originalRobert Renteria's story needs to be heard. Young people are living in neighborhoods with more violence than ever before and gangs havebecome a routine part of the environment. For some of our young people, survival is all they know. We have to show them that there is more. We have to encourage them to look beyond, and have a sense of the future and look to where they want to be 10 or 20 years from now. Robert clearly illustrates that life is full of choices, and the choices you make will determine which way you go.

From the Barrio to the Board Room shows young people that others who were just like them, with similar experiences, have made something positive happen in their lives. How did we do this? Both Robert and I were able to disconnect from our environment to a certain degree so that we could not only continue to survive within it, but also look toward the future. Our personal experiences gave us the upper hand in dealing with gangs, violence, drug and alcohol abuse and our youth dropping out of school. We are committed to our community because we recognize that many of these young men and women need role models and individuals who can nurture and mentor them.

This is the message that Robert and I have in common. We've been there, yet here we are. We made it out from the Barrio and our kids can do the same. But the Barrio should stay with us as a reminder of who we are. I always say that you can take me out of the Barrio but you can't take the Barrio out of me. I also say that although I am the first Latina in the State Senate, I won't be the last!

When I visit schools I tell young people that education is the most precious gift that you can give yourself and your community. By becoming educated, you can understand the social injustice and economic issues that exist out there. What you capture in the classroom is something that nobody can ever take away from you. And you can choose to make it a positive experience!

A book like Robert's can make a difference and change the course of someone's life because it is a story that hits home. From the Barrio tells you that it does not matter where you are born, what community you grow up in, or where in society you may be; what matters is you and what you want to do with your life. Everything that Robert has shared-the words, his commitment and his philosophy-is a reality. He is living proof that a kid from the Barrio can make it, and his story will change lives.

-The Honorable Iris Y. Martinez

Illinois State Senator

 

For more information, please contact Corey Michael Blake at 224.475.0392 or corey@roundtablecompanies.com.

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