Con Mi MADRE has worked for 30 years in Austin empowering more than 4,000 Latina girls to finish high school and attend college. They also work with mothers to show them how to better support their daughters.
To celebrate the local organization's work, Austin City Council has declared Sept. 26 as “Con Mi MADRE” day.
Yaqueline Rivero Delgado is a psychologist from Cuba and moved to Austin eight years ago with her two daughters. During the first few years, she said it was tough to navigate living in a new country, let alone help her daughters thrive.
When it was time for her eldest daughter, Nicole, to start thinking of college, Rivero Delgado said she struggled to get her daughter the right information, but she did the best she could.
“I could barely help her, I had very little information,” Rivero Delgado says in Spanish. “Despite the language barrier I could only help her by connecting her to resources in school to apply to FAFSA and scholarships. But it was very difficult for me.”
Con Mi MADRE was founded in 1992, as part of the Junior League of Austin to empower girls to get a college degree. According to a Pew Research study,12% of Latina women ages 25 and older held a bachelor’s degree in 2003 compared to 23% in 2023.
The study also found that while there are more Hispanic women enrolled in colleges than 20 years ago, they are still far behind from non-Hispanic women. According to the study, 43% of non-Hispanic women held a college degree in 2023, compared to 23 % of Hispanic women. The study identified affordability as the main obstacle Hispanic women face.
When Con Mi Madre was created, the organization found that Latina girls from low income families had a one percent chance of getting through college.
“If we want girls to achieve, and to succeed, and to be motivated and feel empowered, we need to work with the family,” said Johanna Moya Fábregas, executive director of Con Mi MADRE. “When you look at research, mom’s play a role in being one of the biggest influencers in girls' academic achievement and career choices.”
Con Mi MADRE has partnerships with many schools throughout Central Texas, and girls can join the program in sixth grade. During the first few years, girls learn about being prideful of their sense of identity because, as Moya Fábregas said, “if you’re not able to show as your true self, are you really successful?'
During high school, girls visit universities, receive mentorship and learn how to apply to multiple scholarships. Once in college, they have one-on-one check-ins, receive resume help and attend professional readiness workshops.
At the same time, mothers can attend workshops on how to support their daughters emotionally, learn about healthcare, taxes and how to start a business. Moya Fábregas said mothers have even graduated from college themselves as a result of participation in the organization.
Rivero Delgado’s youngest daughter, Daniela, is in eighth grade now and has been part of Con Mi MADRE for almost three years. This time around, Rivero Delgado said everything seems easier. Daniela is still a few years away from college, but she’s already visited two universities in Texas.
Rivero Delgado began working with Con Mi MADRE as their parent program coordinator a few months ago and the best thing about being with the organization, she said, is the sense of community.
“Being with other families that have the same objective helps me stay focused,” she said. “Visiting colleges with my daughter is like holding her hand through this dream.”
