Ana Guerrero, chief of staff to Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, delivered the keynote address at the fourth annual USC Latino Student Empowerment Conference at the Ronald Tutor Campus Center.

The conference, hosted by Centro Chicano on Jan. 24, was designed to boost academic achievement.

Guerrero, the daughter of Mexican farm workers, shared her career path and advised the audience of students, alumni and staff on how to achieve success.

The first key is hard work.

“By hard work,” she said, “I mean putting in the time to do whatever it is you want to do and to do it well — there are no shortcuts.”

The second key is to expand and nurture your social network.

“I don’t mean over-sharing on social media. I mean get to know people, find common ground through dialogue and by working together — relationships are valuable.”

The final key is civic engagement.

“Create a public life for yourself. Get involved in a community organization, in politics or in a cause that you care about,” said Guerrero, who told the audience that civic engagement can make life meaningful.

Robert Hernandez, an adjunct assistant professor at the USC School of Social Work, also spoke at the conference. He presented on contemporary gang theory, providing participants an overview of what it's like working with vulnerable youth populations in Latino communities.

"The significance of having a group such as El Centro Chicano provide a forum to promote higher education by Latinos for Latino/a students promotes a feeling of hope," he said. "Several of the students in attendance at the annual empowerment conference are first-generation students, who often don’t have a roadmap to higher education to follow. When students can engage in dialogue with professors [and other professionals] with similar shared experiences, it creates a strong sense of security and endless possibilities."