Twenty student delegates from high schools in the San Francisco District traveled to New York to attend the Lasallian Convocation on the Rights of the Child held at the United Nations from April 25th to the 27th.

The three-day event saw 140 high school and college participants from the US/Toronto Region take part in informational sessions on advocacy training for children’s rights throughout the world. This Lasallian convocation, held twenty-one years after the first UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989, was filled with activities and presentations designed to inform, educate and inspire young people on children’s issues. Rights of children have been identified as survival, development of full potential, protection from abuse or neglect, protection from exploitation, and opportunity to participate in family and cultural life. The Lasallian mission of providing a human and Christian education to the young, especially the poor, fits naturally with these goals.

The impact of the meeting on attendees was significant. Noted Ellen Derby, an adult moderator from Justin-Siena High School who joined the students on the trip, “There is nothing more encouraging in the realm of faith in action than to see more than 100 Lasallian youth get fired up about social justice. These are not the leaders of tomorrow, but of today.”

Students who attended the convocation were selected for their leadership qualities and potential to continue the discussion at their own institutions. The participants came from high schools throughout the District:

Felisa Gonzalez from La Salle High School in Yakima, Washington
Johannah Brady and Maggie Steinberg from La Salle Catholic College Preparatory in Milwaukie, Oregon
Lorena Hernandez from De La Salle North Catholic in Portland, Oregon
Mayely Paez from Christian Brothers High School in Sacramento
Willis Mattei, Elyse Quast, Megan Gallagher, Kathleen Tierney and Krystalle Franz from Justin-Siena High School in Napa
Philippe Videau from De La Salle High School in Concord
Ariadna Diaz from Saint Mary’s College High School in Berkeley
Carmen Conroy from Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory in San Francisco
Jessie Castelan, James Esparaza, Elijah Hernandez, Alejandro Toruno and Cristian Alegria from Cathedral High School in Los Angeles
Casey Nguyen and Joline Zelenski from La Salle High School in Pasadena

They were accompanied by adult moderators Ellen Derby and Chris Berghout from Justin-Siena, Brother Chris Patiño and Joe Walsh from Cathedral High School, and Greg Kopra and Marilyn Paquette from the District of San Francisco Office of Education. In addition to participating in the regional gathering, students had the opportunity to visit embassy offices of Chile, Finland, Sweden, and Bolivia.