Ten years ago, Lilvia Soto became the first director of La Casa Latina. On Friday night, she came back to Penn to warp up the celebration of the milestone anniversary of La Casa with its current members and supporters.

The focus of the anniversary gala was the future of Latinos at Penn.

University Trustee Gilbert Casellas kicked off that focus by announcing the launch of the Association of Latino Alumni’s Emergency Fund, which will offer grants to Latino students in an immediate financial crisis. Highlighting the emergency fund as one example, Casellas, the first Latino member of the University Board of Trustees and one of La Casa’s seven founders, emphasized the importance of the “engagement” of Latinos at Penn.

“Representation doesn’t equal engagement,” he said.

The fund, however, is not an example of financial aid, but a “supplement,” said Graduate School of Education professor Jorge Santiago, another La Casa founder.

On the topic of access, University President Amy Gutmann praised La Casa director Johnny Irizarry’s Spanish-language presentations in Miami high schools as part of Penn’s increased recruitment efforts directed at Latinos.

Although the Admissions Office has yet to print applications in Spanish, Irizarry said, it has started making admissions and financial aid information available in Spanish both online and in print.

This particular initiative was made possible by members of the five minority coalitions — better known as the 5B — and the Undergraduate Assembly, said Vice-Provost for University Life Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum.

For his part, College junior Cristian Barrios, the Latino Coalition chairman, credited “select members of the UA,” as well as members of last year’s LC board, emphasizing that the policy is intended to engage “the family as a whole” in the college application process.

Before the closing dance performance, Associate Vice-Provost for Equity and Access William Gipson praised Santiago’s “quiet, unassuming leadership.”

Unlike most of the founders, Santiago did not give a speech. However, along with Clemson Smith Muñiz, a speaker at the event and a former Daily Pennsylvanian sports editor, Santiago is working to expand outreach efforts in Puerto Rico to recruit first-generation college students, Santiago said.

In the last speech of the night, Soto urged Latino students to “be this country’s conscience” and to take advantage of their time at Penn — “for all the Latinos who will not have the same opportunities.”

And for Barrios, at least, La Casa has helped him to heed this advice, helping his growth and development by serving as “a home away from home,” he said while acting as Master of Ceremonies.

Smith Muñiz’s speech ended on the same note.

La Casa has worked to engage Latino students for 10 years, he said. “Let’s do it for 10 more.”