Class of 2020

Join us as we celebrate and highlight Leaders in Training's high school and college class of 2020. Help us share these unique and inspiring stories to spread joy during these troubling times and highlight social justice change from the community, for the community.

Denises Justo
Rancho HS Senior
LIT Cohort 5 Member

• I hope to directly take part in saving lives and providing proper health care to those who least have access to it after receiving a college education at Grinnell and then pursuing medical school back in Vegas. I believe that everyone, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, or income level deserves the right to proper health care. My dream is to be able to represent my people and be a role model for my younger sisters to encourage them to pursue their own dreams. 

• What makes me most proud of my family is our ability to overcome many adversities. My parents recently got divorced last October and that was a heartbreaking event, but neither I nor my siblings let that event tear us down. My siblings have continued to work hard and we have become a support system for each other, learning from each other and talking to each other more than ever and my mom has continued to be as hardworking as ever to provide for us. 

• The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in Las Vegas has been both a blessing and a curse. Not long before the virus arrived to Vegas, schools were shut down and along with that my senior year experience. I no longer get to experience the typical graduation with all of my class and their families in one big stadium. It genuinely sucks, but I'm glad I got to experience the moments before the pandemic. Not everything has been so negative as I now have more time to focus on me and my mental health and I have had the wonderful opportunity to volunteer with the NHLC's call center providing support to COVID-19 patients, which proved to be an enlightening experience further motivating me to get into healthcare! I am ready for this virus to be over and to attend college in Iowa soon!