IPS Alum Maria De Leon Encourages Students to Turn Passion into Action

Standing before a room of Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) students at the Indiana State Library, Maria De Leon made one thing clear: Advocacy starts with your own story.

A 2018 Crispus Attucks High School graduate, De Leon recently returned as keynote speaker for IPS Student Advocacy Day, where students visited the Indiana Statehouse and Indiana State Library to learn how policy and civic engagement shape their communities.

“I was at Crispus Attucks from sixth grade through 12th grade,” said De Leon, who is a Community Leadership Officer for the Indianapolis Foundation. In that role, she oversees the Summer Youth Program Fund and other initiatives focused on young people, as well as the arts.

After graduating, De Leon attended Butler University, studying political science and communication, made possible by a full-tuition scholarship she pursued after learning she wasn’t eligible for 21st Century Scholars.

De Leon, a first-generation college graduate and the oldest of four, said her advocacy journey began out of necessity.

“My parents couldn’t tell me exactly how to navigate high school or college,” she told the students. “So, I had to advocate for myself.”

Advocating for herself

She reached out to mentors, shadowed leaders and asked direct questions about scholarships, internships and career paths. At first, she saw networking as transactional … simply getting answers. Over time, she realized it was something deeper.

“Networking is community building,” she told the students. “It’s finding people who believe in you and want to see you succeed.”

That mindset paid off. After urging her guidance counselor to nominate her for the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship, an opportunity she had discovered on the Indianapolis Foundation and Central Indiana Community Foundation websites, she received the award.

Later, when offered an unpaid internship she couldn’t afford, she declined — only to learn years later that the organization decided to make the position paid in order to attract more diverse applicants.

“When you advocate for yourself,” De Leon said, “you’re also helping the next person who looks like you.”

Her advocacy extended beyond her own future. While at Crispus Attucks, De Leon co-founded a student club focused on raising awareness about teen dating abuse. Unsatisfied with awareness alone, she and fellow students attended IPS board meetings and pushed for policy changes requiring additional training and resources for educators. The policy ultimately passed, even after she graduated.

“You never do advocacy alone,” she said. “You do it together.”

"Do something about it."

Before closing, De Leon turned the microphone over to the students, inviting them to talk about the areas they’re passionate about.

One student shared a passion for service, calling it “a great form of advocacy” that improves communities for everyone. Another said she wants to see more people “put energy into the things that they want.” Several other students spoke about young men searching for purpose, gaining confidence as a member of FFA, and the need for young people to vote and get involved in politics.

De Leon listened, then connected their words to her own journey.

“I was frustrated that teenagers were experiencing unhealthy relationships,” she said. “I was frustrated that as a first-generation student, I had to work so hard to find resources. I was frustrated that networking felt transactional.”

So she did something about it.

“I want you to take those same frustrations, those same passions, and do something about it,” she told them. “You can start by asking questions. Joining clubs. Having conversations. Connecting with people who are willing to support you.”

As students wrapped up a long day at the Statehouse and the Indiana State Library, De Leon left them with a challenge — not just to witness civic engagement, but to practice it.

Advocacy, she reminded them, begins wherever they are.