Love Lawrenceville Day brought the spirit of community and opportunity to life with a special Spanish-language immersive edition hosted by the Students46 program. The day is thoughtfully designed to give Spanish-speaking students a welcoming, immersive introduction to careers and local government.
This year’s event, a popular part of Impact46’s student programming since 2020, offered a unique experience tailored for newcomer students from Gwinnett County’s International Transition Center (ITC), with bilingual staff and translators guiding students through each part of the day.
Students from Central Gwinnett, Discovery, and Phoenix High Schools, as well as Georgia Gwinnett College, have attended previous Love Lawrenceville Days, and this year’s event continued that tradition by introducing students from the ITC, a school that supports recently immigrated students.
Celebrating the day’s success, Mayor David Still remarked, “Love Lawrenceville Day reflects our City’s commitment to inclusivity and opportunity for all who call Lawrenceville home. Partnering with Students46 and Impact46 allows us to inspire newcomer students to envision themselves as future leaders and professionals in our community.”
Students from the ITC joined this year’s Love Lawrenceville Day as they participated in a three-hour business-shadowing experience, crafted to cater to their language needs. Mayor David Still, City Manager Chuck Warbington, and Students46’s Erik Munoz welcomed the 27 students and three ITC staff members at City Hall, with ITC Principal Dr. Steve Frandsen translating. After the warm reception, students shadowed professionals across City Hall, Public Works, and the Lawrenceville Police Department, engaging with bilingual staff members for a truly inclusive experience.
The day concluded with an inspiring lunch at the Police Department, featuring authentic cuisine from La Cazuela Lawrenceville and a panel of successful Hispanic leaders from Lawrenceville’s business and civic community. Panelists included Oscar Lievano, owner of America’s Benefit Center; Captain Salvador Ortega of the Lawrenceville Police Department; Helen Balch, Deputy Director of Planning & Development for the City of Lawrenceville; Carlos Rodriguez, owner of La Cazuela Lawrenceville; and Josue Majano from the City’s Public Works Department.
The 2024 Love Lawrenceville Day was made possible through the support of the City of Lawrenceville, the International Transition Center and Impact46 event sponsors, See Beautiful and the Thumann Foundation. Additional contributions came from CASA, the Latin American Association, the Lawrenceville Response Center and Georgia FirstGen, who provided valuable resources and support for the students.
Jen Young, Executive Director of Impact46, commented, “Love Lawrenceville Day continues to inspire local students by creating meaningful experiences that connect them to their community and workforce pipelines and foster a sense of belonging.”
Additional Love Lawrenceville Day experiences are planned for the 2024-2025 academic year with Discovery and Central Gwinnett High Schools.
