“Community building with some Latino flare”
by Olivia Caesar
When UCLA Professor of Education Tyrone Howard and his co-instructor Dr. Kenny Donaldson assigned the final project for their Diversity Leadership class in the fall, the two were challenging students to put into practice strategies and ideas they had been discussing throughout the quarter. The hypotheticals that were presented to the students addressed the challenges faced by underrepresented groups in the context of collegiate athletics.
However, for Transformative Coaching and Leadership (TCL) student Natalie Ramirez, the exercise prompted a realization. For the Bruin track and field star, these were not just hypotheticals being tossed around in class. When it came to her own Latina identity, she felt a sense of isolation.
“There is a big Latino presence in L.A. and at UCLA,” the track team captain noted. “But it doesn’t shine like it should within the athletic department because it’s so fragmented and spread out. I knew there were other Latino student-athletes at UCLA, but when you don’t have a space to connect, you tend to assimilate to the more prominent cultures within your team.”
The Granada Hills native didn’t want to just sit on this thought. Soon after, she approached Assistant Athletic Director of Student Athlete Development, Ric Coy, with an idea: the formation of a group to build community among Latino student athletes. Coy embraced the endeavor wholeheartedly.
And so, the Student Athlete Latino Spanish Association (SALSA) was born.
Ramirez explained that SALSA’s mission is two-fold: First and foremost it is about “community building and creating a Latino identity and presence for student athletes at UCLA,” she said. By spending time together, sharing their experiences and listening to music, it helps to build authentic connections with each other, as well as foster a stronger relationship to their culture.
Despite the catchy mnemonic “this is not a dance club,” Ramirez explained. However, dance is a big part of Latino culture. Hence, with the help of UCLA’s actual salsa dance society the group is trying to organize a salsa evening for all student athletes to come together and experience an aspect of Latino culture.
The other focus of the group is outreach to Latino youth in sport. Ramirez explained that there is a low percentage of Latino athletes in the NCAA outside of the stereotypical sports of baseball and soccer. Part of what SALSA wants to do is provide more role models and mentors for young Latino athletes across a greater variety of sports.
Recently, with the help of TCL Professor Julie Pelikova, the track and field athlete was able to organize an outreach trip to Hollywood High School. Alongside track teammate and SALSA member Jade McDonald, Ramirez attended one of the Hollywood High’s track and field competitions.
The West Ranch High graduate shared how special it was to speak to and support the local teens, explaining “it is important to be the role models in this space that we didn’t have as kids.” The group now hopes to organize more outreach moments like it through SALSA.
Ramirez explained how the TCL program has helped her to build and shape SALSA:
“Even beyond Dr. Howard and Dr. Donaldson’s class, which planted the seed for this group, the classes I’ve taken this year have challenged me to dig deeper into what is important in my leadership, and the sort of spaces and careers – within collegiate athletics and administration – my passions and aspirations might take me.”
It is clear that while SALSA is her first foray into the sphere of diversity leadership, it will likely not be the last for the UCLA throws specialist. Ramirez graduates this spring but hopes to remain involved with SALSA and is looking forward to seeing its impact at UCLA and perhaps even more broadly within the NCAA.
CIF Division I State Champion in the shot put in 2019, Ramirez was also the CIF Division II champion in the shot put and discus in 2018. She received Academic Scholar recognition as a freshman and senior at West Ranch High and earned her bachelor’s degree in Sociology from UCLA in 2022.
Learn more about UCLA’s Transformative Coaching and Leadership Master of Education program.