IGNITE Event Reflection

A key goal of the Loretto Justice Fellowship program is to carry forward Loretto’s legacy, particularly in empowering Loretto-connected young women to work for justice and act for peace, doing so in ways that are rooted in relationship and supportive community. This February, Loretto Justice Fellows Arantza de Jesus and Chelsea Le Vey embodied this spirit of Loretto and goal of the Fellowship program.

In a collaboration initiated by Arantza and shepherded by Arantza and Chelsea, the Fellows orchestrated an opportunity to invite and accompany Loretto Academy Challenge Program Scholars to the Texas state capitol to advocate for women’s health (specifically menstrual justice) and civic engagement. Under our Loretto Justice Fellows’ leadership, three Loretto Academy Challenge Scholars received full funding to participate in this statewide event while being chaperoned and mentored by our Fellows. Chelsea completed all required training to serve as a travel partner and event chaperone for the students during their two days in Austin.

The event, IGNITE the Capitol Texas, was a day of action planned to educate and empower young women. IGNITE is “the nation’s leading organization harnessing political ambition, community building and leadership skills among young women and girls” and their mission is to “empower ambitious young advocates to become the next generation of political leaders.” Both Chelsea and Arantza have held leadership positions within the IGNITE chapter at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). Arantza reflects: “I’ve been a member of IGNITE for three years and I’ve been involved with the Loretto Justice Fellowship program for two years. Having the opportunity to combine these two amazing organizations for this event was an incredible honor. I’ve participated in this day of advocacy for a while now, but this year’s event truly became my favorite. Through our collaboration with Loretto Academy, I had the opportunity to see the past, present and future. I saw myself both in the Loretto Academy students and in our elected representatives. I’m extremely thankful for this amazing experience.”

After serving 1.5 years as a Loretto Justice Fellow, Arantza is now a member of the prestigious Archer Fellowship Program and interning in the office of Rep. Veronica Escobar in Washington, D.C., for her final semester before graduating from her undergraduate program. She flew back to Austin to provide leadership for the event. She summarizes the day of action: “We brought together girls from all around the state for a day of engagement to learn more about lobbying and policies. In the morning, we learned about bills, how they are passed and how to communicate our wants and needs to our representatives. In the afternoon, we visited our representatives and put everything into practice.” 

For Chelsea, current Loretto Justice Fellow and vice president of the UTEP chapter of IGNITE, the experience was “nothing short of an eye-opening.” Chelsea reflects on the power of being in community for this day of action: “Accompanied by so many powerful and strong young women whom I am proud to call my peers, we went to Austin with a mission and a purpose. We were there to engage, to uplift one another and most importantly to make our voices — the voices of the next generation — heard. Getting to see the students from Loretto Academy take this experience head-on was amazing. These young women are smart, determined and driven for change in our world.”

Loretto Academy Challenge scholars returned from the experience invigorated and passionate about what they learned. Their reflections are shared below:

• “IGNITE was an amazing experience for me. I loved having the opportunity to travel to Austin and to be able to speak with women that care about reproductive rights and the future of women. I got to learn and speak about women’s rights and lack thereof. I most liked speaking to Vincent Perez, a Texas representative, who not only listened to our concerns, but spoke eloquently and thoughtfully about his future plans in office. This brought me peace of mind, knowing that our future is being decided by intelligent and compassionate people such as Rep. Perez and his office.” – Valeria Arellano, Class of 2026
• “This conference was very eye-opening to me in the sense that it taught me a lot about how the government works as well as more about myself. My favorite part had to have been going to the capitol, because I didn’t know what to expect, but it was such an amazing building with so much history on its walls. Speakers talked about civic education and reproductive justice, and I was super shocked at how passionate they were about these topics. It made me feel okay to be involved and just as passionate. Overall, this was such an amazing experience that I wish other girls would be able to experience because it really does put a lot of things into perspective.” – Isabelle Labrado, Class of 2026
• “The IGNITE the Capitol event was an eye-opening experience that showed how young women can make a difference in politics. We talked about important bills, like the one by Rep. Maria Flores and Rep. Donna Howard, which focuses on making sure students have access to menstrual products and support for health conditions that affect their education. Rep. Vince Perez and other legislators also introduced bills that promote civic engagement, like House Bill 824, which improves civic education in Texas schools to help students understand how government works and the importance of voting. Learning about these issues made me realize how laws impact our everyday life and how important it is to speak up for our beliefs. This event inspired me to stay involved and work toward a positive change in and outside of my community.” – Grace Tolentino Class of 2025

As we face this tumultuous political moment and the path ahead, it is stories like this that give us strength. Loretto is no stranger to facing times of incredible challenge throughout our 200-year history — facing overwhelming injustice with grace, connection, spunk and faith that a better world is not only possible, but within reach. This Loretto spirit is alive and thriving within these young women. Our Loretto-connected emerging leaders are energized to advocate and serve, doing so while inviting in and empowering others in community and with camaraderie.