Today we’d like to introduce you to Gladis Rodríguez. They and their team shared their story with us below:
Gladis Rodriguez was born and raised in San Salvador, El Salvador, CA. She moved to the United States in 2000. Gladis is an author and founder of the ministry preparing psalmists (School for adults and youth of music ministry in the church); she is a writer of the motivational blog for Christian musicians with the same name as the ministry.
She has written two books in the Christian field, one of poems and the other on Christian education focused on worship. Her third book is focused on community education. She is also a singer and released her second musical single this year. In addition, she has been a radio presenter on her program preparing psalmists. She is currently a theology student at one of the recognized Christian universities in the United States. She is also studying a career. Leadership at the University of Utah.
During the pandemic, she saw the need to have a united community where they could help each other to obtain legal status in the United States, create a cultural environment for new generations, and support each other in the community so that young people and adults can obtain opportunities. Work and study are the reasons why she is the founder of the community of Salvadorans in Utah, a non-profit organization. She is a mother and grandmother residing in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I have had many challenges, but one of the strongest was the organization’s division. I believe that in life, many problems will arise, but I believe that we must always continue fighting for the objectives we have, and for the future, just don’t lose your focus.
One of the greatest achievements of the organization has been its participation in the establishment of the consulate general in SLC. In this project, in which we participated together with other Salvadoran leaders, we were satisfied due to the good administration of the current government of El Salvador.
We also participated in the proclamation of Salvadorans that was sent to the Capitol this year, 2023, praising the progress of the Salvadoran diaspora in the state of Utah, but unfortunately, it was not approved. That motivates us to continue working to move forward and continue doing things better.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
The community of Salvadorans in Utah is a non-profit social-charitable organization whose purpose is to promote unity and common well-being and represent the entire Cuscatleco people in the state of Utah. It is an apolitical organization, with conviction in God but without attachment to any particular religion, and does not discriminate against people or those who wish to be part of or participate in the activities of the organization.
MISSION: Cosal arose from seeing the need to unite the Latino communities of Utah, especially Salvadorans, and descendants of Salvadorans, assisting immigrants to obtain a worthy status to live in the USA, promoting student development for low-income communities, and spread the richness of Salvadoran and Latino culture to new generations in Utah.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Through experience, I discovered the importance of persevering in the face of adversity, learning from setbacks, adopting an attitude of forgiveness, letting go of negativity, and embarking on fresh starts with renewed enthusiasm.
Contact Info:
- Website: Comunidaddesalvadorenosenutah.blog
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/salvadorenos503enutah?mibextid=LQQJ4d
Image Credits
Mayor Erin Medenhall
