NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A new Nashville organization is helping Latino students navigate their educational journeys through culturally connected mentorship and support.
Barrio Education for Liberation, known as BarrioEd, launched in 2024 to provide bilingual mentorship for Latino youth in Middle Tennessee. The organization was founded by educators Nichole Alsina-Davari and Jazmin Ramirez, who both understand the unique challenges facing Latino students.
"I'm the child of immigrants. Jazmin was an immigrant student herself," Alsina-Davari said.
During a recent Hispanic Heritage Month celebration in Antioch, BarrioEd partnered with Intrepid College Prep to connect families with community resources.
"We brought together over 12 different community resources to be able to support families," Alsina-Davari said.
The organization focuses on individualized support to help students pursue their goals without limitations.
"Students can expect one-on-one coaching with them, individualized attention and plans for students. And then in some schools, we do offer programming with students all across the district," Ramirez explained.
In just one year, BarrioEd has mentored 42 students across Middle Tennessee, including three first-generation Latinas who are now enrolled in local universities.
Students say the mentorship has been transformative. One student described the impact of having culturally connected guidance.
"Having them as guidance is like almost having them as family, and especially when I don't have something to fall back on, I feel like they really pushed me to reach further and reach for more," the student said.
Another student highlighted how BarrioEd helped open doors to professional opportunities.
"Barrio Ed has helped me get shadowing opportunities...for shadowing PAs, and I feel like that, like I wouldn't know who to contact or who to reach out to get those opportunities, but BarrioEd, they really helped me and supported me through that well," the student said.
The mentorship also helps students gain confidence in their identity and goals.
"It helped me realize what I actually wanted, and it made me be more 'segura de mi misma (sure of myself),'" another student said.
Both founders emphasize the importance of representation in mentorship.
"It just simply is different when you are looking at someone who has who shares that language, who shares that culture, and is able to look at you and say, I know this is really hard, especially now, but being able to say, I'm sitting in front of you and I did it, and I know that you can do it too. There's just, it's invaluable," Alsina-Davari said.
"I think an organization like BarrioEd is important because it still brings hope, right?" Ramirez said.
BarrioEd welcomes new students year-round, helping them explore college, apprenticeships or workforce opportunities. Click here to learn more.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at Patsy.Montesinos@Newschannel5.com
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