2nd Annual Mexican American Studies Youth Conference Comes to NVC
November 21, 2025
Conference Connects Aztec culture and STEAM concepts
San Antonio - The Northwest Vista College (NVC) Mexican American Studies (MAS) program will host the 2nd Annual MAS Youth Conference on Friday, Nov. 21, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the NVC campus. The conference, co-sponsored by the NVC MAS program and the NVC MAS student organization, Somos MAS, aims to empower young people by providing a platform for students to showcase their work and learn from inspiring speakers in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) fields.
The featured keynote speakers, Irvin Garcia Real and Alexis Ivan Aleman, are first-generation medical students at UCLA. The pair is known for their popular Instagram presence (over 300,000 followers) as "Foos in Medicine," and they will share their experiences and advice on navigating the challenges of medical school.
Even after significant efforts, medical schools still struggle with low Latinx representation among students, a finding detailed in the peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Public Health.
The MAS Youth Conference will include breakout sessions and entertainment such as engineering Aztec-inspired chinampas (floating gardens), Mexstep (San Antonio-based rapper, producer, DJ, and scholar), ancestral mathematics with the nepohualtzintzin (Mesoamerican abacus), Aztec dancers, and a showcase of customized lowriders.
"We are thrilled to bring the Mexican American Studies Youth Conference to NVC," said NVC Instructor and MAS Program Coordinator Lucero Saldaña.
"This event offers an incredible opportunity for students to explore how STEAM connects with cultura, while building meaningful connections with mentors and peers who can guide them along their educational and career paths. We believe the insights shared by our guest speakers will be particularly valuable for our attendees as they consider their futures."
This year’s conference is expected to draw up to 300 attendees, including middle school, high school, and college students. The first conference, held last year, was hosted by UT San Antonio (UTSA).
Northwest Vista College, part of the Alamo Colleges District, opened in 1995 with 12 students and has grown to more than 22,000 students. Located in Westover Hills, NVC’s expanding agreements with business and higher education partnerships provide a wealth of opportunities for students and the community.