Eleven young Hispanic women from Cicero took to the stage at J. Sterling Morton High School to share their personal stories of overcoming barriers, self-doubt, adversity who exemplify perseverance during the first Young Latina Talks held in Cicero. Fig Factor Media Publishing in collaboration with the Town of Cicero, Morton College and J. Sterling Morton High School District 201 presented this event. Giving their presentations were the following: Ariana Macedo, Alondra Villa, Carla Castellanos, Angela Campos, Elizabeth Loza, Emily Bastida, Marisol Nunez, Suhailly Vega, Marlene Medina, Nicole Barajas and Tatiana Hart. Speakers went through a nomination process to be chosen to participate.

Young Latina Talks, created by Fig Factor Media Publishing CEO Jacqueline S. Ruiz, is a Ted Talk-style event created in the spirit of widely successful Today’s Inspired Latina book series and global movement. This event, which has been done both in-person and virtually across the United States, brings the audience stories from a group of Latinas who have overcome barriers, self-doubt, adversity who exemplify perseverance. After the presentations were finished, judges evaluated them and chose Tatiana Hart, founder of Reign Investment Group and a second year Waubonsee Community College student, as the winner of the Young Latina Talks $1,000 Scholarship. For more information, visit http://todayslatina.com.