Testimonial: “Being a part of EBFE has been transformative”

By: Alysia Treviño

My name is Alysia Treviño and I am Program Development Coordinator for El Ballet Folklórico Estudiantil (EBFE). Having grown up in Flint, I have been a part of the city’s Latino community all my life, but as a young child, I still longed to feel closer to my Mexican heritage. I started folkloric dancing with EBFE when I was 12 years old and this sparked a life-long passion for music, dance, and education, as well as a special closeness with my culture. This program is special because right away I started not only learning dances of Mexico, but also about Mexican traditions and holidays, music, and crafts. The program also started getting me prepared for academic success and I had my first college tour of UM-Flint at age 13 with my dance class! I later attended UM-Flint, studied abroad in Mexico, became vice president of Latino United for Success (LUNA), and graduated with the Maize and Blue Distinguished Scholar Award.

As I got older, I began taking on leadership roles, as the organization likes to provide its students with the tools to be successful. Over the years I have taught dance classes, developed youth programming for young women, planned the Flint Hispanic Festival at the Farmer’s Market, and now I am delving into the role of Program Development Coordinator for the organization.

From the beginning, EBFE provided me with a comprehensive educational experience and gave me opportunities to gain unique experience that made me an attractive candidate for jobs, scholarships, opportunities at my university, etc. Aside from all of these wonderful benefits, on an emotional level, it has been transformative to know more about where my family comes from and play an active role in the preservation and celebration of my culture. It is for these reasons that I highly recommend dance, voice, and/or instrumental lessons for people of any age. There is absolutely no other experience like it!

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