NLP is proud of our alumni. Read about the inspiring work of NLP alumni that contributes to the strength and vitality of our community. Their stories are also examples of the kind of participants you’ll interact with in an NLP program.

Sara had been a parent volunteer with Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) for six years. "I have always wanted to find ways to bring together the families of different cultures who attend our ECFE site." She heard about NLP through her ECFE site, which had sponsored participants in the past, and joined the program in 2008. "I learned many things about myself and the way I interact with different people, as well as what things I value most. It was beneficial to remove myself a bit from situations to think about how I feel about them." She learned skills, such as meeting facilitation, to address her goal. "I also found that sometimes the method of communication is just as powerful as the words I use when trying to communicate with someone, especially someone from another culture." Through her experience with NLP, she realized that it would be a good idea to sit down with the Spanish speaking parent educator to brainstorm about how to bring families of different cultures together. They came up with the idea of soccer clinics organized by some of the Spanish speaking parents. The soccer clinics brought together children and families of different backgrounds for a common purpose.

The ECFE English speaking parent educator at Sara’s site says, "I think the training that NLP provides for individuals in St. Paul is a way of making a difference in all communities because these individuals see themselves differently. The ECFE parents we’ve sponsored have an attitude of ‘if it needs to be changed, we can make it happen.’ They step up when issues arise: from calling the city about problems on their block to organizing neighbors to share their talents with other families; from writing and calling legislators on issues impacting their community to organizing letter writing events to motivate others to also influence their legislators. In ways that none of us can foresee, these individuals have an impact because they have changed how they see themselves; from passive observers of the community to active citizens who can make a difference. Sara agrees. "Through my experience at NLP, especially my time with my coach, I learned to recognize when people appeared as though they may be interested in getting involved in something. When I see that, I encourage them to do so. Sometimes, being asked to do something is all someone needs to take that leap."

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Rosa studied in the United States at the Hubert Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs as a Fulbright Scholar from 2001 to 2003. Soon after, she left Guatemala and returned to Minnesota to start a new life. Her enthusiastic energy helped her adjust personally and professionally to life in the United States. Rosa’s story is proof that you can "adapt and navigate a new culture" through leadership, civic participation, and community organization. Rosa joined Wilder’s Latina Leadership Program in 2008. "I wanted to be more involved, expand my network, gain leadership training, and get to know other Latina women and community leaders." The program’s goals are for women to develop a greater awareness of their passions and strengths, build skills to be more effectively engaged in community life, and increase connections to the resources, organizations, and services that exist in the community. "The program was an intense, concentrated, and comprehensive experience. It helped us examine our leadership style, reflect on core values and social change, connect to resources in the community, improve leadership in your own organization, and taught skills to better interact with decision makers".

Rosa was recently appointed by the Board of the Chicano Latino Affairs Council (CLAC) as the Interim Executive Director where she is constantly interacting with policy makers and the community. CLAC’s mission is to "advise state legislators, the governor, and other policy makers on issues affecting the Latino community. It serves as a bridge between the community and the state." She values the interpersonal and leadership skills she acquired from the Latina program and continues to utilize them to make an impact in the St. Paul community. "It not only helps you relate to government officials or policy makers, but it also helps you develop relationships on a grassroots level. You need to be able to work with diverse groups and interact efficiently at all levels." Rosa appreciates the program’s ability to build confidence in aspiring professional leaders. "The program gave me more confidence to be proactive. The professional world requires navigating sometimes intimidating spaces with key decision makers in the community, and the program teaches you to trust yourself and be confident."

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Victoria arrived in Minnesota from Peru in 1999 with a mission to support her young family and a willingness to learn new skills. "I couldn’t speak English. I couldn’t drive. I started at zero," she said. Coming from a teaching background, she found work as a child care provider, eventually becoming the Program Director at a preschool. Her work was recognized by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, which named Victoria one of its "25 On the Rise" in 2006. The honor motivated her to reinforce her leadership skills by joining the Latino Leadership Program; an NLP Community-specific Leadership Program that encourages emerging Latino community leaders, like Victoria, to consider their potential to participate in grassroots action and civic roles.

This unique program - conducted in Spanish and offering transportation, child care and a meal - helps Latina women understand their potential as leaders in their community, facilitates making connections with other Latinos and organizations, and builds leadership skills to be more actively engaged in community life. It was designed in collaboration with several Latino groups in Saint Paul and continues to be a popular program. The experience changed Victoria’s perception of herself as a leader. "I was quiet for a while. I listened," she said. "Now I’m more aware of my leadership style and I feel more confident about what I’m doing. I’m not just working for myself. I’m working for my community, too." Today, in addition to her full-time work, Victoria co-facilitates NLP’s Latino Leadership Program, assists as a Cultural Guide with the University of Minnesota in a Parenting Education Project and serves on the Latino Advisory Committee for Resource for Child Caring. "Maybe with what I’m doing, my children see everything is possible," Victoria added. "They learn that we don’t stop learning."

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Wilfred and his family arrived in St. Paul in 2000. His Karen (ka-RAHN) people fled military oppression in Burma and came to the U.S. through Thai refugee camps. His family landed in Saint Paul hoping for a better life. They lived in a church basement for two months until settling into more permanent housing. "I felt stateless, hopeless and stressful," Wilfred said. In 2007, Wilfred enrolled in the six-month Neighborhood Leadership Program (NLP) to help other Karen families in Saint Paul’s growing Karen community. He studied cultural differences in conflict resolution, explored community resources, and expanded his leadership skills. Wilfred found critical tools to better understand and to become more active in his new community.

Now a U.S. citizen, Wilfred connects more confidently with other Americans outside his Karen community. He also helped NLP create the Karen Leadership Program, a Community-specific Leadership Program that has severed several Karen cohorts and provided co-facilitation opportunities for emerging Karen leaders. Reflecting on his NLP experience, Wilfred says, "Now I understand how to be a leader in a democracy and I want to help others understand too". He sincerely appreciates the United States and its Constitution, and the human dignity he has regained here. "I feel well; my heart is warm and peaceful."

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When Yolanda was contacted about joining NLP, she insisted that she was "just a volunteer" and not a leader. However, she was willing to give the program a try and signed up for the six month Neighborhood leadership Program in 2007. A single mother living in supportive housing, Yolanda was an active volunteer in her building and at her daughter’s elementary school. At the program orientation, however, NLP staff noticed that Yolanda seemed uncomfortable. She was very quiet and did not participate in the opening activity. Later that week, NLP staff followed-up to see how she felt about the evening. In fact, Yolanda reported that she really enjoyed the program, but was struggling with some of the reading required by the program activities. By the next session NLP staff had arranged for a literacy coach to attend all of the program sessions with Yolanda, helping her to read and understand the program materials.

Yolanda’s literacy skills improved by four levels during the six month program, and she became one of the most active participants, always ready to volunteer her ideas or speak on behalf of her small group. Yolanda also went back to school, worked at her church, and began serving as a Girl Scout troop leader for her daughter and her friends. Yolanda was nominated by her NLP peers to speak at the graduation ceremony. She wrote a speech with the help of her literacy coach and delivered it beautifully.

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Rena lives in the Aurora St. Anthony neighborhood and came to NLP through her work with the Aurora St. Anthony Community Development Corporation. When she started NLP in 2006, she was excited to learn leadership skills and put them into practice in community work. Now, an extremely active community member, Rena reflects on her training experience, "I learned how to interact in people my community and the importance of that work. I learned how to develop a process, and how to go into a community and work with neighbors. I realized in NLP that I wanted to start a block club. So I learned how to plan, do outreach, and engage others, and I also found the confidence to take action. In other words, I learned the ‘how to’ and ‘the steps to do it.’"

Following NLP, she left her job to become a Fellow with Wellstone Action to participate in grassroots organizing focusing on issue advocacy, electoral mobilization, and voter engagement. She later went on to join the Organizing Apprentice Project (OAP). She is now the Parent Leader Coordinator with Prevent Child Abuse Minnesota. She said "it was NLP that taught me to take ownership; that we can be a part of the solution. We can do it! And it gave us the tools to be effective and taught us what that looks like for the community. NLP also taught me how to do some outreach into the community. I remember Yolanda who was in our group. She was so shy at the beginning and by the end she was stepping up and doing things." A fellow NLP participant said about Rena, 'We can tell that you really take the initiative to apply your NLP knowledge towards your community. You're going places!" Rena also returned as a coach to a 2008 NLP participant.

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Loretta is a St. Paul community advocate, leader, and alumna of Wilder’s Neighborhood Leadership Program. She sees the important role and the profound impact of collective action within St. Paul neighborhoods. "The neighborhoods are where the rubber meets the road. This is where grass roots begin and where residents spend the largest part of their life. This is where the quality of life is played out." In 2006 Loretta joined NLP and strengthened her leadership skills through training, individual coaching, and community networking. NLP engages participants of all ages and backgrounds to learn from one another, reveal their potential for community leadership, and uncover their ability to create positive social change. "It kept me focused on the community goal I wanted to reach, prioritizing steps to take, and the importance of building a community team to achieve that goal."

In 2007, Loretta saw a need in a St. Paul neighborhood and took action. "When my elderly mother required help in meeting her daily needs, I discovered a wealth of help available in Hennepin County and couldn’t find the type of help in Ramsey County. In researching resources, I discovered the Block Nurse Program (BNP) and learned that this program was available in the majority of St. Paul neighborhoods, but not in the District 2 Community Council area where I lived." Loretta initiated a Block Nurse Program which offers "non-medical, volunteer based services to residents aged 65 and older." The program’s services include transportation, lawn care, snow removal, shopping assistance, friendly visits, blood pressure clinics, caregiver support, and referral services. Loretta continues to utilize the skills she learned in NLP to make a difference in her community. Her determination sparked action that continues to provide assistance to the vulnerable elderly population of St. Paul. "I wish to live in a community that is a kinder, gentler, safer place to live. If that is to be true for me, then it must be true for the other residents as well. Collectively, we can make that happen and it is my desire to participate in that goal."

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