FOR LOCALS

>

**February 14, 2024

Vegas Theatre Company is offering a great new show by Suzan Lori-Parks "Topdog/Underdog", the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning tale of two African American brothers as they navigate identity, power, and the pursuit of the American Dream.

EMA Review: Topdog / Underdog ***** Delicious

Here's more detail from the show's recent revival on Broadway in NYC:  https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/20/theater/topdog-underdog-review.html

I'm bringing family to show this Saturday, February 17 at 7:30.  If not, the show continues through February 24.  Tickets are $25 (student) - $40 (General Admission) and available at www.theatre.vegas.

>

Vegas Theatre Company is located at 1025 S 1st St #110, Las Vegas NV 89101, with ample free parking right next door.  I do recommend you come early to allow time for parking, and enjoying a libation with other theatre fans before the performance begins.

>
Ann Pongracz '75

>

LEADERS IN TRAINING [https://www.litlv.org/]

LIT is a grassroots community-based program that operates as an after school non-profit organization located on the corner of Lamb and Washington in East Las Vegas. LIT is free to join and there are no requirements except student members being the first in their family to graduate from college and completing all requirements while in program. Students start as high school freshman and are part of the program for their entire high school career. Students then continue in Postsecondary Programming four years after high school graduation and are considered Alumni eight years after high school graduation.

Erica Mosca, Ed.M. '11, Founder & Executive Director is a proud first-generation college graduate, daughter of an immigrant, and social justice advocate. Part of the college access non-profit 10,000 Degrees in high school and serving as a fifth grade teacher with Teach For America, Las VegasMosca experienced educational inequity in both her personal and professional life. “I am dedicated to empowering change from the community, for the community to ensure students can play the game to change the game to upend structural inequity and systemic racism. The opportunity to attain a college education is the foundation, though not prerequisite, for underrepresented students to become the diverse leaders of their own communities.” 

Mosca currently serves on the Board of Directors of college access private school Cristo Rey St. Viator as the Academic Committee Chair, as an Authority member of the NV State Public Charter School Authority, the Board Chair of college persistence program & housing complex Q3 Student Partners' Community Advisory Board, serves on the Clark County Community Development Advisory Committee & is part of US Congressman Steven Horsford's Equity Cabinet. Previously, Mosca served on college access charter school Equipo Academy's Committee to Form, as the Chair of the United Way of Southern Nevada's Women's United Engagement Committee & as an Executive Board member of the Asian American Pacific Islander Democratic Caucus serving as the Corresponding Secretary. She has worked for Teach For America, TNTP & as a Special Projects Manager for previous Clark County School District Superintendent Dwight Jones. 

Erica was awarded the 2021 Women Inspiring Nevada recognition, 2020 Community Hero Award from the Public Education Foundation for LIT's work during COVID-19 and the 2019 Boston University Young Alumni Award. Erica is a proud 2021 Leadership Las Vegas Phoenix class member, 2017 Emerge NV member, 2011 Education Pioneers Boston cohort member, 2008 Teach For America Las Vegas corps member and holds a B.S. from Boston University, an M.Ed. from UNLV & and Ed.M. from Harvard's Graduate School of Education. She is an avid J-Cole, rompers, Las Vegas and connecting people fan and was married over zoom during quarantine in April 2020 to her husband Nicholas Jared Smith who is serving in his 16th year in the United States Air Force currently stationed at Nellis Air Force Base. Erica is 35 and continues to own her home 16-houses down from her Teach For America placement school where her mother and father reside and daily run into LIT students and families. Erica and Nick live together with their dog Panda.

Communication will be relayed through emosca@litlv.org​.

Upcoming events:

LIT HOMECOMING PARTY, May 19, 2022.