“Leading from Where You’re At” is the theme of the 2019 Bonner & Bonner Diversity Lecture: Civic Leadership for the Common Good. Topeka Mayor Michelle De La Isla will deliver the lecture at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 7, at Albert Taylor Hall in Plumb Hall on the Emporia State University campus.
De La Isla used education to overcome challenges that could have left her in a cycle of poverty and lack of opportunities.
Born of humble beginnings in New York, she faced many challenges at a young age. Early in life, her mom fled for safety with her and her brother to Puerto Rico to live with her grandparents. By age 17, she was homeless, and at 19, pregnant. Rather than feel sorry for herself, De La Isla made a conscious decision to overcome her circumstances and finish her degree.
She moved to Kansas in 2000 and graduated from Wichita State University with a bachelor of science degree in biology, after eight years of trying. That summer, she worked as a teacher for Upward Bound and unfortunately discovered that others faced challenges similar to hers, igniting a fire for advocacy and service that to this day cannot be extinguished. She relocated to Topeka and soon after became a single mom of three children.
In 2005, De La Isla joined MANA National and traveled around the country educating women on financial literacy. She was also one of the founding members of the local Hermanitas chapter for mentorship of Latina girls. As her community involvement developed, she participated in the Capital District Group to advocate and develop the current Downtown Topeka plan.
In 2010, she became Executive Director of Topeka Habitat for Humanity where she established the first office, the ReStore and exponentially increased service delivery. She works alongside Dr. Kim Morse to deliver an annual girls empowerment conference at Washburn University where more than 170 Topeka girls attend. Michelle supports the Rescue Mission as a volunteer and serves on the board of MANA National.
In 2013, De La Isla was elected to City Council and served as Deputy Mayor in 2016. She is the Diversity and Inclusion Representative at Westar Energy and the Mayor of Topeka. De La Isla greatest honor is being called Erick, Cristina, and Lorraine’s mom.
The Bonner and Bonner Diversity Lecture Series was established in 1992 by Drs. Thomas and Mary Bonner, ESU’s first and second African American faculty members. In 2016, this landmark annual event found a new home in Emporia State’s Honors College with its focus on civic leadership for the common good.
The event on March 7 is free, but tickets are required. They are available from Union Services in the Memorial Union or by calling 620-341-6378. A public reception immediately follows in the Plumb Hall Rotunda.