Si, se puede -- yes, we can!

During the third annual Latino Educational Leadership Conference on Friday, nearly 700 students from around Utah Valley discovered their culture is more than speaking Spanish.

"There was a time in my life when I didn't realize how important it is to be a Latina," said Myra Startup, at Provo High.

She started Provo High only wanting two things: to get an education and dance.

Four years later, Startup has been accepted to UVSC, participated in Latinos in Action -- a service and tutoring group -- been a part of the ballroom dance club at PHS, and as she told students on Friday, "Si, se puede."

The theme of this year's conference, "College and careers after high school graduation: do you have a planfi," included speeches by Lisa Muranaka, from BYU's Multicultural Student Services, and Gabriel Heyn from the Utah Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

"They need to rely on their culture and bring it to the community," said Heyn. "They are so lucky to have the chance to come here and go to school."

Two students were given their acceptance letters to BYU during the conference. Both had been debating whether or not to take the ACT and both didn't think they'd get into BYU.

"It was so powerful when they read those acceptance letters," said Jose Enriquez, Provo High's assistant principal, describing the tearful event. "I hope it gave the students hope, because without hope you don't have much."

The conference isn't just about college, it's also about embracing culture. Most of the students are immigrants to the United States, and all are bilingual, Enriquez said.

Most of the speeches were in Spanish, and the event included the traditional Mexican Hat Dance, music and the Merengue.

"We hope they want to get involved in extracurricular activities," Enriquez said.

The assistant principal said he knows how lucky he is to be in Provo and have an education. His mother immigrated to the United States the "hard way," he said. He came to BYU from Los Angeles on a wrestling scholarship, and now is working on his doctorate degree at the school. He has taught at Timpview High and been an assistant principal at all three Provo School District high schools. Next year, he'll be at Mountain View High School as an assistant principal.

"I love high school," Enriquez said. "There's just so much power in today's youth."

Brooke Barker is available at 344-2559 or bbarker@heraldextra.com.

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page D1.