Graduate Students
Graduate students are an important part of our community—a vital resource as well as a huge source of pride. The Latino Cultural Center exists to support all undergraduate, graduate, and professional school students as they make their way through Yale. These students have worked hard to get to Yale; we want to do our part to ensure that there is a community available that celebrates Latino heritage, promotes awareness of our culture and helps facilitate the transition of graduate students to life at Yale.
There are a number of ways for graduate and professional school students to participate in our community. All students are welcome and encouraged to attend any of our events and join any of our student groups. Additionally, many of Yale’s graduate and professional schools have Latino-based student organizations. These groups exist independently of La Casa, so if you’d like more information about any of these organizations, please contact the individuals listed below.
If you would like to be added to the La Casa list serve though which we advertise events and opportunities, please email lacasa@yale.edu.
Latino Graduate Student Groups
All Yale Graduate and Professional Schools
- The Latino Graduate Network (LGN) is an umbrella organization that encompasses all of the Latino Graduate student organizations from Yale's graduate and professional schools. LGN was created after members of the community noticed the disconnect among graduate students of different schools. Although there are many Latino students around campus, it is sometimes difficult to get to know each other and create the sense of family and community that we are all used to. Through LGN, we hope to bring all Latinos together into a cohesive community. LGN does this by organizing social events for all Latinos at Yale happening throughout the year. LGN also promotes the creation of interdisciplinary projects for the Latino community of New Haven; as future leaders it is our responsibility to bring all of our abilities and talents forward to advance causes of social justice affecting our people. Mediated through La Casa, we hope that LGN will be a home away from home for all Latino graduate students here at Yale.
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
- Office for Diversity and Equal Opportunity (ODEO)
The Office for Diversity and Equal Opportunity (ODEO) at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences is committed to building a supportive graduate school community whereby students of color, women, and other underrepresented students are actively recruited to the graduate school and supported in their professional, social, and intellectual pursuits. ODEO was established to promote diversity within the Yale’s student body. The organization is guided by the belief that diversity functions as an intellectual, cultural, and social enhancement to a scholarly community. The Office operates collaboratively with departments and programs to proactively recruit and, once enrolled, support the needs of underrepresented students as they pursue graduate study at Yale. The Office is directed by Assistant Dean and Acting Director John Mangan. Dean Mangan works with students, faculty, and administrators to enact the mission of the Office. In addition, a full-time administrative assistant and graduate fellows help develop and implement recruitment and retention programs. An Advisory Committee, appointed by the Dean, meets regularly to offer additional support and vision for the Office’s programmatic efforts. The Office provides support at many levels to students of color and women at all stages of their graduate education. Students are encouraged to visit the Office at HGS 127 or call (203) 432-0763 to learn more about our programs and activities.
Yale Law School
- The Latina/o Law Student Association (LLSA) The Latino Law Students Association at Yale Law School seeks to represent the interests of Latino students at the law school while also raising awareness of Latino social and cultural issues through academic and social programming. LLSA does this by meeting as a community on a regular basis, inviting guests to engage with current students, and honoring distinguished alumni with the LLSA Public Service Award Dinner. The organization has five primary goals:
- Represent the interests of Latino students at the law school.
- Foster Latino community at the law school both on professional and social levels.
- Effectuate institutional action on matters of importance to Latino students.
- Raise awareness of, and engage with, Latino-related issues in both the legal world and society at large.
- Highlight and capitalize on the diversity that exists within YLS's Latino community in accomplishing the above goals.
The Yale School of Management
- Latin Leadership Association (LLA) The goal of the Latino Leadership Association (LLA) at the Yale School of Management (SOM) is to promote Latino leadership for business and society. LLA seeks to harvest potential synergies with external groups in an effort to benefit both its membership and other organizations: collaborating with the National Society of Hispanic MBAs, building stronger relationships with Hispanic SOM Alumni, networking with corporate recruiters who are interested in Latino MBAs, and increasing communication with other Hispanic organizations both on and off campus to discuss common issues and models of success.
The Yale School of Medicine
- The Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA) The Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA, formerly known as BLHO) is a student run group committed to developing a network for Latino medical students at Yale by providing academic and social support. We strive to maintain a supportive and dynamic environment for Latino medical students at Yale and to promote awareness about the cultural, political, and economic issues affecting Latino health. We also work to highlight the contribution of Latino physicians and scientists in the medical field and to encourage other minority students to enter the health professions by serving as their mentors.
The Yale Divinity School
- The Yale Divinity Latino/a Association (YDLA) Yale Divinity Latin@ Association seeks to create a space for students, faculty, and staff that fosters fellowship, encouragement and partnership within the Latin@ community at YDS. YDLA is composed of anyone who self identifies as latin@ or who has close ties and connections with the Latin@ community either through scholarship, parish ministry, or personal interest. YDLA offers the latin@ community a space and opportunity to raise their concerns, interests, and to begin conversations that pertain a wide variety of latin@ issues. YDLA also provides its members an opportunity to share and represent their community, culture, and interests with the rest of the YDS community.
