. >> announcer: live where you live, this is abc 7 news. that horrible berauj of bult bullets not the first or the last. a las vegas concert becomes the sight of the worst mass shooting in modern history. >> the gunman is unveiling ties uncovered by the abc 7 news eye team. this live picture shows many people lined up for hours in las vegas to donate blood. >> so many people coming forward. i'm dan ashley. >> and i'm christian sze in for ama daetz. >> the death toll of the

shooting stands at 59 with at least 527 wounded. the suspect has been identified as 65-year-old stephen paddock of mesquite , nevada. >> investigators say he acted alone opening fire from a 32nd floor of mandalay bay hotel. offers found rifles in the hotel room and more weapons at his home in mesquite. >> in excess of 50 different firearms. explosives and ammo. along with electronic devices we are evaluating at this point. >> police found 62-year-old paddock's body dead in the hotel room from a self-inflicted gun wound. no known ties of an extremist group. what have you uncovered today,

dan? >> experts saying stephen paddock did not fit the profile of a mass murder. he was much older, wealthy and inverse have had a difficult time finding a motive. be many account, 64-year-old stephen paddock was a gambler. married twice, living with his girlfriend in a retirement community 80 miles of eastern las vegas. still unclear why he opened fire last night. abc news is reporting paddock has 19 guns in that room, including some they were high-powered. sources say paddock had a camera mounted in the courtroom, apparently to record himself. there was only one bay area address that comes back to stephen paddock and that's in haze valley from march of 2008. no one was home at that returned when i knocked but i broke the

news to the neighbor. >> i'm just shocked, you know. that's just, it's scary and it feels -- it feels strange to know that someone like that lives next door. would -- you know live next door. >> reporter: and people who have lived in the area for a long time tried but couldn't remember stephen paddock. they did know the man who may have been his roommate also listed at that address. one thing that doesn't make sense, this address is low income housing and by many reports paddock was a wealthy man. stephen had a slip and fall years ago and a lawsuit against las vegas, he lost. his father broke out of prison robbed a san francisco bake in 1969. he was listed add big daddy,

chrome dome, old baldy. considered dangerous. >> nearly half a century later his son has been become the worst mass murder in u.s. history. as you have heard the shooter was on the 32nd floor of mandalay bay resort, across the street from the the grounds of the festival. >> it's that large space highlighted in red where 22,000 people gathered to listen to music. >> contracts attracted fans from the bay area, three of them were firefighters from the alameda fire department. >> the firefighters were near the front of the stage and not injured and sprang into action to help the wounded. >> this nevada woman, stay see remains missing after the shooting. >> vinny described how the couple became separated.

>> -- pickup truck that someone had and took us down to university hospital and tried to circle back. i thought everything was closed off. unfortunately his wife did not have her cell phone on her. >> the victim's family hope family is recovering at the hospital. >> some bay areas who were at the concert returned home tonight. >> abc 7 news lonny is live with their stories. >> reporter: yeah, dan and christian, faces said so much, many still crying and rattled after what happened. this was a fun family friendly event but what happened they say looked like a war scene. this scene of panic and anxiety following gunfire at this las vegas concert is something rick row says he wants to forget, but it keeps playing in his mind. >> a little paranoid over the night for every sound you hear and thinking the worse.

>> reporter: these bay area concert goers arrived home traumatized. >> there was a guy that got shot in his arm, ripped it wide open. guy got shot in the head. it was a nightmare. >> reporter: the gunfire caught so many off gun, she says one man protected her. >> i turned to my sister and said are there fireworks or gun shots. a man behind me told me there was gun shots and he tackled me to the ground and covered me. the guy that was on the grown right next to my sister and i got shot in the hip, the thy thigh. >> reporter: they managed to run to the airport after this person saved their lives. >> i think about the people in front of us and we left. >> reporter: they all returned home relieved and grateful to have survived the deadliest mass

shooting in modern u.s. history. live in oakland. lonny riviera, abc 7 news. >> abc 7 reporter, amy fields flu to las vegas and joins us now. >> reporter: good afternoon christian, what's been overwhelming here in las vegas is the response to help. we're at the broad donor center where they are turning people away. they were at capacity, there was such a long line. they sent them home and said they'll call them. they'll be taking their phone numbers. a line started at 4:00 this morning. visitors have been trying all day to leave las vegas and get home. amanda curling got to the airport 6 hours early for her san francisco bound flight. she says after what she

experienced last night she wanted to go home. >> for now i need to distance myself from vegas and let the people who live here and who are injured and passed away grieve before we all move on and go try to enjoy another day. >> reporter: airport workers say they were very busy this morning with people wanted to get on earlier flights than planned. before she left las vegas, amanda carolin spoke with great appreciation for the people here who helped others during the shooting. >> they did a great job responding to the issue at hand. getting people into small groups, hunkered behind trailers. >> reporter: the helpful spirit is still strong today. this is a line of people trying to donate blood. many of these people waited more than seven hours in the hot sun. the community showed up to fuel them bringing them food, water and chairs and umbrellas giving them rest.

>> the outpoor in the community is lovely. makes me tear up. it's sad but it's great to see humanity in action. >> reporter: they are just now getting to people who signed up to give blood at 7:45 this morning. they think they're going to keep drawing blood until 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning or maybe all night long. they just don't know. there is too much food and water here from donors. we saw a plan who's offering all they could think of that's still needed out here, free hugs that sums up the community spirit here tonight. reporting live in las vegas, amy hollyfield, abc 7 news. the commission chair started a gofundme page to support the victims and their families. its raised more than $2.1 million just this morning. coming up next on abc 7 news at 6:00, the praerps already

underway here in the bay area to keep us safe for upcoming events like fleet week. plus -- >> first responders in las vegas got some of their are training here in alameda county. i'm jonathan bloom. ahead on abc 7 news. are you taking the tissue test?

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this live picture, it is of course in honor of the las vegas victims. san francisco has a line up or events in the next few days including fleet week and the bluegrass system expected to draw tens and thousands of people. abc 7 news reporter melendez has the details. >> on behalf of san francisco welcome our sailors, marines back to the city. >> reporter: the mayor welcoming the sailers -- the hardly strictly bluegrass outdoor festival is also scheduled for this weekend. >> we're going to be prepared. we're very much aware and there will be extra security that police the private concert organizers are having so they can be that much more alert. >> reporter: the police department and mayor's office are in contact with state and federal officials that are

sharing any information they may have. >> it's crucial that we continue to work together to make sure we are better prepared. >> reporter: as part of fleet week both the state and department of defense showed off their medical surge units out of san francisco general hospital in the event of earthquake or any situation with mass casualties. >> they would actually bring out trauma, surge incapabilities. >> that's if our ropts hospitals were so packed right? >> absolutely. hope they don't become overwhelmed. >> reporter: the mayor says there's some comfort knowing the military is here for the remainder of the week. abc 7 news. two years before last night's tragedy unfolded. las vegas police went through a bay area training program that prepares first responders for these dangerous situations. urban shield has local critics but today police are saying that

training is more relevant than ever. >> reporter: as gunfire and panic spread across a sea of people something quieter was happening inside. >> i could hear -- >> listening to some of the radio traffic that was going on yesterday, that team was very exposed and calm. >> reporter: sergeant ray kelly says that's because they trained for this. >> explosive breach, everyone else needs to move back. all units move back. >> these were the explosives we'd use if we needed to do a breach. >> reporter: drills like this a part of urban shield the police training program held every year in also mameda county. from taking out a shooter to bringing in medical help while shots are being fired. officers learned to use military-style equipment. >> it's heavy gauge steel.

>> reporter: that's drawn protesters to nearly every urban shield event. >> when police arm themselves with military great weaponry what we're going to see is more violence. >> reporter: opponents worry armor and big guns are deepening the divide between the people and police. >> a complete break down of any kind of trust that exist with the communities. >> reporter: sheriff's office says vehicles like this may look imposing but it's entirely for defensive purposes. getting officers into shooting situations and getting patients out. >> every year we see a change in tactics by the bad guys out there. >> reporter: next year the sergeant says they'll train for this situation. >> how do you preechbt high-rise urb urban attacks on people. >> you can get the latest information from las vegas by downloading the abc 7 news app. we've sent out push alerts all day long.

works with beau apple and android devicings. coming up next, abc 7 news weathe

enjoying a beautiful sunset right now. >> spencer tracking the weather. >> it's going to become more summer-like as the week goes on.

live doppler 7 with clear areas around the valley. check out that view from the east bay. our forecast features, we have offshore winds, a warm dry pattern. beautiful weather but that raises the danger of fire. high fire danger through tomorrow and summer-like warmt by the end of the week as the temperatures keep rising. red flag warning for high fire danger, mainly the high area for the bay areas, the north by the way, mountains, east bay and south bay mountains swell. the north bay will be in effect until 5:00 tomorrow afternoon. but the east bay and north bay will expire later tonight. so the highest threat is above 1,000 feet. winds gusting 25-35 miles per hour for the next 24 hours or so in their higher elevations.

relatively humidity will be low, 8 to 15% and of course under these conditions fires can easily start and spread. over night conditions, mainly clear skies, maybe a puff or two of light fog will drift through the area. mainly clear skies, breezy conditions with temperatures up in the mid 50s. some areas will drop down to 50 degrees. high for tomorrow 60s around the coast. here's the accuweather seven-day forecast. the warm up friday and saturday rkt 90 degrees. mid-80s around the bay and mid-70s along the coast in okay. that's almost unheard of except here. >> thanks spencer. the warriors are in china and so is abc 7 news sports director. director. larry

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>> the tonightest visitor may have had the best flight over. here's larry with the report. >> reporter: after a 14-hour flight that covered 7,000 miles we arrived in china on the warrior's charter last night in the city of sin gin. the original i teeye ten rare called for the players to go right into practice. but instead the players opted for dinner and sleep. >> what are you looking forward to most during this week? >> brought my family out here so you know, just get a chance to really tour and kind of dive into the culture. >> you had a brand new baby, 14-hour flight with an infant. you have a lot of guts. the maybe was terrific. >> yeah she was great, she slept better than both of us. >> reporter: warrior's head

coach steve kur, because of a and a half see he had to take another flight expected arrive here on tuesday. >> the warriors playing two preseason games on the tour. larry will have reports from china every day for the duration of the trip. >> tonight at 9:00 on coffee t.v. channel 13 and here an abc 7 news at 11:00. >> investigators gathering more information about the man behind the gun. >> you'll also hear from the porcher during last night's concert when the gunfire erupted. the decision that saved her life. >> that'll do it for this edition. look for breaking news on twitter @abc 7 news, bay area. >> we appreciate your time here. there's a live update now on the

las vegas shooting that is about to begin. >> you can watch it streaming live with the abc 7 news app. good night.

>> now, from abc7, "beyond the headlines" with cheryl jennings. >> welcome to "beyond the headlines." every week we examine stories that affect people who live and work in the bay area. today, we take a look at the issues important to our hispanic communities. the term "hispanic" or "latino" refers to people whose ancestors came from spain, mexico, the caribbean, south or central america. the 2010 u.s. census found 55 million people, or 17% of the american population, are of hispanic or latino origin, a significant increase from ten years earlier, up from 35 million, or 13% of the total u.s. population. here's abc7's jessica castro with local leaders for a special roundtable edition of our show. >> thank you, cheryl. education and technology are a big focus of our discussion today. before we begin, i'd like to

highlight a story filed by abc7's eric thomas about a new venture that could fast-track students toward college. >> they called him "mr. october" because of his postseason heroics at the plate. but on this friday in september, reggie jackson was talking about the importance of science and technology education to students of color. >> and as a minority, you do not get a fair opportunity. you do not get a fair shake. >> but sometimes you do get a little star power, money from silicon valley, and input from a local community college to help give these kids a nudge along the way. >> the focus on technology because there's such a significant lack of any kind of minority population in technology. >> it's true that african-americans and latinos make up less than 5% of employees at the major tech companies. this initiative hopes to help change that. it's a joint venture between silicon valley software giant sap, the oakland unified school district, and berkeley city college. the goal?

get more kids of color involved in the tech industry. that's not new, but this is. students in the academy will be allowed to take courses that offer credits both at skyline and at berkeley city college at no cost. and after they graduate, they have two years to complete their associate's degree for free. >> we're hoping that they can get, let's say, at least a couple semesters' worth of college credits before they leave so they'll have a real edge. >> they also become our employee base later. so, it's a virtuous cycle for all. >> i want to create something. i want people to know my name, what i did. >> i just want to make sure america leads us, continues to lead the world in computer-technology science. >> everybody involved expects to get back more than they give, especially the tech industry, which believes that diversity creates greater profits and prosperity. in oakland, eric thomas, abc7 news. >> and joining us in studio today are dr. hilaria bauer, sitting right next to me, superintendent of alum rock union elementary

school district, located in east san jose, hector mujica, social-responsibility program manager over at google, and deldelp medina, director of the residency program at code2040. thank you all for being here. >> thank you. >> hi. how are you, jessica? >> good to see all of you. deldelp, i want to begin with you on code2040. talk to us a little bit about what your program does, especially bringing latinos into technology. >> yeah, we work with black and latinx folks to bring them into the innovation economy. so, we have three programs. our flagship program is a program that helps students that are getting their c.s. degrees, so their computer-science degree, to help them find internships here in the bay area. our second program is the tap program, which works also with these students to help them get skill sets and understandings and understand how to stay within the c.s. programs. and then i am in charge of the entrepreneurship program. so, i'm really lucky to be able to work with founders of color that have tech companies across seven cities and eight next year. so, i'm really excited.

>> and we're gonna talk to you in just a little bit about the barriers to entry for latinos into technology, but, dr. bauer, i want to ask you about your school district. 87% of the kids are of latino heritage, right? >> also, many of them are below the poverty level, so their challenges are a little bit different than most districts, especially in terms of accessing the new economy. for our families, it's quite a different world. and so, the work that we do in our district will hopefully lead our students to become just like you guys around the table -- successful latinos that have access to the new economy. >> and on that note, hector, i want to talk to you about your work at google, what you do there. and you represent a latino that's very successful in technology. >> yeah, thank you. so, i'm a social-responsibility program manager at google. help build out a lot and encourage a lot of our employee

engagement and giving and in social-responsibility programs. and i'm also one of the advisers to our hispanic employee-resource group, hola. so, within that realm, i work very closely with all of our hispanic groups within google. >> and speaking of advice to latinos and anyone trying to get into technology, deldelp, can you talk a little bit about barriers to entry, what you're seeing, especially with code2040, what latinos are facing, trying to get into tech? >> well, i think that we have to delineate a couple things. first of all, we overconsume in terms of buying and being on all sorts of apps, programs, that sort of thing. so, this idea that somehow latinos are not technology-minded i think is a moot point. there's a flip side to that. unfortunately, a lot of us are mobile native. so, in other words, our only kind of connection -- my mom calls it... [ speaking spanish ] ..."the little device" is mobile. so, it's very hard to learn how to code. it's very hard to be able to do your schoolwork if your only device is either an ipad or a

phone. and so, that is a barrier to entry on the one hand. on the other hand, because folks are mobile native, because they understand how to use these things, it allows us to have a fluidity when it comes to technology in a very different way. and so, it is trying to fill that gap that we're constantly working with. so, a lot of the folks that i get to work with, which are tech entrepreneurs of color, they are creating things that very few other people are looking at. they're looking at the marketplace in a very different way. and also knowing fully well that one tech employee earns as much as a black and latinx family combined. so, that when you are looking at that disparity in terms of poverty, the reality is, is that one of the ways in which we can narrow the income gap is making sure that we are a part and we're at the table in terms of making products for ourselves for the rest of the u.s. >> that's exactly what we're trying to do in alum rock, in

making technology a part of the curriculum. so, it's not like an after-school program or a saturday academy. but for our families, to your point of having access to kind of limited machines, if you will. you know, students need to be able to know and interact with them in a different way, in a more consistent way so that -- for example, in alum rock, we have something called code to the future, where technology is taught during the day, just like reading and math. it's not an after-school program. it's not an afterthought. and the reason we needed to invest in that is just because of what you said. they need to make it part of their everyday life. >> and, dr. bauer, we're gonna talk a little bit more about how technology is being used in schools currently, but we do need to take a quick break. we'll be right back. who are these people?

the energy conscious people among us say small actions can add up to something... humongous. a little thing here. a little thing there. starts to feel like a badge maybe millions can wear. who are all these caretakers, advocates too? turns out, it's californians it's me and it's you. don't stop now, it's easy to add to the routine. join energy upgrade california and do your thing.

>> welcome back to our special roundtable edition of "beyond the headlines." i'm jessica castro, guest-hosting for cheryl jennings. we've been talking with local leaders in our hispanic community about education, technology, innovation. silicon valley may be home to many high-tech companies, but often, students in east san jose

are left behind. a program paid for by one district is giving the kids new tools to break through barriers, and abc7 news reporter matt keller filed this story from meadows elementary school. >> does it seem like everyone you know has an ipad? it may seem true, but in east san jose, accessibility to technology -- heck, even getting on the internet -- is a luxury many kids don't have. but that changed today for hundreds of elementary-school students in east san jose's franklin-mckinley school district. a big announcement at meadows elementary this morning, letting third through sixth graders know they now have 180 ipads available in their classrooms. the technology will help give personalized learning to students in a school that has 40% english learners. >> take a sixth-grade class, for example. we have some third-grade readers. we have some twelfth-grade readers. and for a teacher of 32 kids to be able to differentiate both levels with traditional just books is very challenging. >> meadows is a stem school.

they teach coding and even robotics. but the ipads will also be used for traditional subjects, as well. >> i like to use it for history. >> it will also give students access to a secret us adults have been keeping from them for years. do you think adults are pretty smart? >> yeah. >> you know, it's just because we have access to google. we're not as smart as you may think. now you have access to google. you gonna be as smart as an adult now? >> yeah. >> that's pretty good. kennedy and shirakawa elementary will also be getting 160 ipads today, with the goal of having all 16 schools in the district having ipads in the classroom by 2018. in san jose, matt keller, abc7 news. >> and those kids so excited to get an ipad. dr. bauer, real quick -- can you tell us the situation in your school district, what kind of technology you have? >> sure. one of the things that i know is that children learn no matter what. but what has changed is the way we teach. and so, it's about providing the

access to different tools and different ways of technology. ipads are fantastic, and i think they use it, and they know how to do it better than the adults. but also having them learn how to use the equipment, as i said before, in a different modality. for example, for critical thinking and problem solving, how to access information -- those are kinds of things that we need to direct-teach our students, because usually the tools are used as entertainment, right? and so we have to change that paradigm for them. >> and teaching, of course, so much of that in schools. and, hector, can you talk to us about code next and the work that google is doing to bring all that technology into schools? >> definitely. so, code next is actually an outside-of-the-classroom program that we've recently announced. it's a program happening in oakland and harlem, and the goal of the program is to bring technology and to bring training to where the students are at.

so, we really want to be proximate to the students and meet them where they're at in the communities. and the program pilot right now was with eighth graders. the goal of the program is to follow the same class of students throughout their high-school careers, give them a good ramp as they get ready to progress into college and hopefully empowering them and enabling them to pursue a career in computer science. >> and what does that mean, just being technology literate, or kind of the work that deldelp does, where you're learning to code, you're really creating that technology? where does that marry together? >> yeah, the program is very comprehensive. so, they're gonna be getting from us basic learnings. but where they're at right now in the eighth grade and middle school, they're gonna be getting introductions to coding. and as they progress in their high-school careers, with this program, they're gonna be digging deeper into learning how to code and to learning different aspects and different coding languages and really diving deeper into what it means to be in computer science. >> and, deldelp, how does that work with what you're trying to accomplish and actually getting

latinos and people of color in the tech sector? >> yeah, no, just the differentiation. we actually don't teach people how to code, but what we're really dedicating ourselves to is to create on-ramps for people to have access to jobs within the innovation economy. and so, it's important for us that folks like all of you are doing that work because for us it's really about finding what are those barriers to entry. and the reality is, the reason we're called code 2040 is by 2040 this will be a minority-majority country, right? so, this idea that we don't have a seat at the table is actually pretty economically dangerous from our point of view. already in california, we are the average californians. my kid is the average schoolchild. those children we saw are the average schoolchildren. and so, if we're not training the next group of folks, and if we're not actually cultivating the folks that are already here, who are latino and black, that is problematic for us because

the next 20, 30 years, we're not just competing against global superpowers, we're competing against smaller countries that are already on-ramping people in a very, very quick way and that there is no disposable people in this country anymore. this idea that somehow a certain group of people shouldn't have a seat at the table i think can get really problematic, as we're doing this demographic shift. >> and, hector, are you seeing that, that we are competing globally on that global stage at google? and then also talk to us about your experience because you have a unique one. we talk a lot about latinos not having technology in their home, but i know you grew up with a family who were in the tech sector, continue to be. i had a very similar experience. my dad is a biomedical engineer. so, i was exposed to that. >> yeah, so, my dad is a computer scientist. he actually got his education in venezuela before moving to the united states. he now works for oracle. and i grew up in a house that was very much connected to the internet.

i had devices. i had computers, i remember, dsl and dial-up and everything in between. and for me getting that level of exposure and also that role model into someone that was in technology was really, really beneficial and i think what put me in a trajectory to go into where i'm at today. and i think that's something that a lot of latinos lack is a role model. if you can't see it, you can't be it. and what we see a lot in the hispanic community is that a lot of latinos don't have a role model in technology that they can look up to and hopefully pursue a career in tech. so, for me i was very fortunate to have that in my life, and hopefully through programs and initiatives like code next and other initiatives like our peer nonprofits and educators are doing, we can also inspire the next generation of latino technologists. >> are you seeing that in your schools, dr. bauer? >> absolutely. and shifting a little bit of a the conversation to deldelp's point, there are no people to

spare, right? and so, i totally honor when you have somebody in your life that is able to do that. the majority of our latino students, especially in the east side, don't have that. so, we need to reach out to the families and have them be part of the school so that they understand kind of how to connect to this, right? we have to create a bridge so that they are models where there's none right now, right? and so, not to think, "okay, well, this is over," or you're always gonna be kind of in the service sector or things like that. we need to open doors and windows and everything we can open and create bridges for our families so that they can see themselves as the tech entrepreneurs or developers. they need to be part of the new economy. >> i want to talk about that, how we incentivize latinos to be a part of that conversation, not just here sitting at this table, but in our community. and so, we're gonna talk about that right after the break.

we will be back in just a minute. food. water. internet. we need it to live. but what we don't need are surprises, like extra monthly fees. i see you, fee, played by legendary actress anjelica huston.

you got me, mark. we just want fast internet for one, simple rate. for all the streaming and the shopping and the newsing, but most of all... for the this. internet for one everyday simple price and no extra monthly fees.

>> welcome back to our special hispanic roundtable episode of "beyond the headlines." i'm jessica castro. we've been talking with dr. hilaria bauer, hector mujica, and deldelp medina for our special show. and i want to get back to this idea of incentivizing our latino community members to give back. and, deldelp, i'll start with you. >> yeah, no, i feel very lucky to be able to work with folks across the united states that are giving back to their communities and understand what is at stake. what is at stake is an economic imperative that we currently have to be able to make sure that we're filling in that gap. and innovation is the way to do it. if you've become a millionaire or a billionaire in the 21st century, it's because of

technology. the only other way you could have done that is actual petroleum. and so, this is a way in which your intelligence, your hard work, your dedication allows you to do that. but on the flip side, we do need to create inclusive environments. the reality is, is that too often when i go to a tech conference -- and i've been going to them for 15, 20 years -- i would be the "only" in a room. i'd be the only woman. i'd be the only person of color. i'd be the only bilingual person. and so now, when i go to tech companies, and now when i go to tech conventions, it's a very different place and space, but there is a lot of work still to be done. >> yeah, you mentioned just how much someone can gain from the tech sector economically. so, hector, can you talk to us, because i know you do a lot of work in the community and give back, not only with your time but monetarily, as well. so, talk to us about that space. >> yeah, so, i've been very fortunate to be part of latino community foundation giving circles group, and that's a group that the latino community foundation founded about a year ago.

and the hope there is to take hispanics from being just recipients of philanthropic dollars but also make them into givers of philanthropic dollars. hispanics currently only benefit from less than 2% of philanthropic dollars, even though we make up over 20% of the population of the united states. and lcf is really looking to change that paradigm and doing so by enabling us regular hispanics to pull together our resources, pull together our money, learn more about the issues that are affecting our local communities, and empowering us to give back to those local communities through these giving circles. >> and, dr. bauer, you have examples like hector and deldelp -- latinos in the tech sector or dealing with tech in some capacity. is that enough, though, or do we need mentors? how do you see it from your perspective in the schools? >> we need everybody involved. and i was gonna use the term "come back to the community," right? because a lot of times, we just

kind of go out and kind of mingle and blend with middle class, which is fantastic. i'm not saying that. but a lot of times we forget where we came from, right? and there's this hesitation. so, a lot of our communities have been ravaged by all kinds of things because of poverty. that's it. and so, we need to refrain the conversation and to say, "it is okay to go back and mentor. it is okay to go back and give," right? and it is learning for us as a group to say, "we need to be part of the solution," right? we need to be active, and we need to visit my schools, right? i have 24 schools where the majority of the students are latino, and they need those role models. they need to see you, jessica, coming in and saying, "hi, guys. you can become me," because

you're absolutely right. until you see it, it's not gonna happen. and i can see my students right now, most of our role models -- and i am very grateful -- a lot of our teachers have been products of our schools, and they can relate to the students, and they can be part of their community. but they need diversity. professional diversity is what we need so that they can see themselves in that. >> and real quick, i want you to give one piece of advice for the parents watching this. so, just one sentence from each of you on what's the number-one thing they can do if they're watching this at home right now. >> in my case, they need to become involved in their school directly. they need to come. they need to see what's going on. they need to ask questions. be part of it. >> okay. hector? >> and also by being part of it, i would encourage them to change the policies that affect us all, right? and elections are coming up, and they're very, very important. so, i would encourage them to check out a resource that latino community foundation has launched called

latinos-vote.com, which is a resource to get latinos registered to vote this next election. >> okay. and deldelp? >> i would say not put barriers in front of your children. just because you don't know how to do something doesn't mean that your kid can't figure out how to do it. i think too often we want to keep our kids safe, and out of that safety we end up creating barriers there. there's already enough barriers to entries. they also need to be able to be curious and to be engaged and to find out a way of going about it. so, i think as a parent in particular, i find that if you tell a kid no, that inevitably creates a situation where they think, "oh, this isn't possible." where you should say, "well, let's figure it out. let's find out a way to make this happen." >> but, really, sky's the limit, right, no matter what language you speak and no matter where you come from. >> that's right. >> i'd like to thank our fantastic studio guests, of course. dr. hilaria bauer, hector mujica, deldelp medina. they have their programs. they're trail-blazing in our community, and we are excited to follow their work. so, please check out all of their different organizations.

cheryl, back to you. >> thank you, jessica. for more information about today's program, just go to our website, abc7news.com/community. we're also on facebook @abccommunityaffairs, as well as @cheryljenningsabc7. and follow me on twitter @cherylabc7. i'm cheryl jennings. have a great week. we'll see you next time.

(toilet flushing) what do you think? it's better than the r.v. the toilet empties itself. and it doesn't rock violently when i cross the room. you know, dad, we can certainly look at other places. i mean, you're gonna be here a whole year while you build the new store. i did two tours in 'nam. if it's not a tunnel filled with snakes,