Registration & WElcome
8:00 am to 8:45 am
Attendees first stop is the sign in table
Grab some breakfast courtesy of our sponsors BlueCross BlueShield of New Mexico and Anchorum. Also, see what the beach ball activity is all about!
8:45 am to 9:00 am
INTRODUCTIONS & OVerview
Daisy Arevalo-Rodriguez from the United Way Collective Impact Team welcomes attendees, introduces Future Leaders, and gives a run down of the day’s activities.
9:05 am to 9:20 am
interact with presentation!
Questions, polls and surveys will be presented throughout the day. Join the conversation through our personal device.
Scan code or visit www.menti.com and enter code: 5296 8240
Kenny Thomas
Former NBA Player | Mental Health Advocate | Entrepreneur | Community Leader
Kenny Thomas is a retired NBA forward turned entrepreneur, media host, and youth advocate. After 11 seasons in the NBA and a celebrated college career at UNM, he now leads programs empowering young people, champions mental health, and drives community development through business, sports, and media. From hosting “Unfiltered with Kenny Thomas” to founding Zia Sports Academy and KT Legacy Wines, Kenny continues to inspire and lead—on and off the court.
9:20 am to 9:40 am
Keynote session
9:40 am to 9:45 am
SCHEDULE OF DAY ACTIVITIES
Daisy and Desmond provides schedule clarification (run down of day)
BREAK
9:45 am to 10:15 am
Break to stretch legs and answer some questions.
Join the conversation through our personal device.
Scan code or visit www.menti.com and enter code: 5296 8240
video + Moving Arts Española story
10:25 am to 11:10 am
painting of our life story
Jenesis Barela-is a 17 year old film, fashion and kitchen intern at Moving Arts Española. She also makes, sells and teaches crochet.
Eliseo Delgado-is a senior at McCurdy high school. He also contributes to Moving Arts Española as a film and kitchen intern.
Desomond Garcia-is a 17 year old film and animation intern at Moving Arts Española. He also works as a teaching assistant in film classes.
Eduardo Maes-is a psychology student at Northern New Mexico Community College. He also contributes to Moving Arts Española as a film intern.
Zayden Martinez-is a 12 year old film student and intern at Moving Arts Española. He attends McCurdy Charter School.
Chelsea Sisneros-attends Denver University. She has worked with Moving Arts Española as both a film and animation intern.
BREAK
11:10 am to 11:40 am
Break to stretch legs and answer some questions.
Questions, polls and surveys will be presented throughout the day. Join the conversation through our personal device.
Scan code or visit www.menti.com and enter code: 5296 8240
11:45 am to 12:15 pm
youth panel
Elianna Lujan: a Senior at Pojoaque High School. Elianna aspires to study Criminal Justice and would like to become a criminal investigator. TOPIC: Dating/Teen Violence
Bernadina Aguilar :Peer support/Addiction
Jenesis Barela: a 17 year old film, fashion and kitchen intern at Moving Arts Española. She also makes, sells and teaches crochet. TOPIC: Depression/Mental Health
Eliseo Delgado: a senior at McCurdy high school. He also contributes to Moving Arts Española as a film and kitchen intern. TOPIC:Being Raised by Grandparents
finding your path
12:15 pm to 12:30 pm
jacob torres
Jacob Torres is an engineer and plant scientist who worked with the NASA Space Biology team at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida from 2018-2023. Tasked with learning how to grow fresh food to supplement astronauts diets, he helped develop the mission that grew the first mature fruit on-orbit. Plant Habitat (PH)-04 grew a New Mexico Chile cultivar, the NUMEX Española Improved on the International Space Station (ISS) in 2021.
A Native New Mexican from the Española Valley, he started academia at Northern New Mexico College. He graduated from New Mexico State University (NMSU) in Las Cruces in 2014 and wrote a masters thesis at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana in 2019. Today, Jacob Pepperseed leads The Moon Chile Challenge Nonprofit that grows chile plants with K-12 schools to teach a new generation how to grow fresh food while collecting horticultural data. Contributing to his PhD research at UNM, this growth serves as validation towards a Chile mission to the moon.
Closing Remarks
12:30 pm to 12:45 pm
Ben Sandoval, born and raised in the small community of Rio Chiquito, New Mexico. Married to wife Renee for 30 years and the proud father of three children; Benjamin, Brandon and Janessa. Graduate of Victory Christian Academy in Española, New Mexico. U.S. Army Veteran of 8 years.
ben sandoval
Ben worked as a mail carrier for the USPS for three years until a terrible car accident in 2001 changed his future trajectory in the workforce. Ben began his journey working with youth in 2001 after being involved in an accident involving a teenage drunk driver.
Initially Ben’s work involved working with high risk youth in residential treatment centers in northern New Mexico. In 2005 Ben found employment with The Family YMCA in Los Alamos, New Mexico. Ben quickly rose through the ranks and became the Child Care Director for the Y and that opportunity opened up new doors into Española and in partnership with the City of Española opened up the Española YMCA Teen Center in 2007. The journey of transforming lives of teens began and continues to this day. The Teen Center has received various awards and accolades during its tenure. Awards include Nonprofit of the year awards for two separate years, Youth Organization of the Year, multiple proclamations by multiple governors of the State of New Mexico, international recognitions include various robotics awards on an international level and also travel to China in 2019 with Team Intergalactic, a robotics team founded by Ben at the Española YMCA Teen Center. Most recently, the Española YMCA Teen Center was recognized by 60 Minutes and received quality airtime on national television in recognition for the Lowrider Bike program. The EYTC is currently showing some of their work through an art installation at the Nuevo Mexico Heritage Arts Museum.
