DeKALB | About 200 people came to hear U.S. Treasurer Rosie Rios talk about her life and her influence on the Latino community.

Rios is the first Latina treasurer to be appointed by a Democratic president, and the sixth Latina to have served in the position.

Before becoming treasurer, Rios was a managing director of investments for MacFarlane Partners.

“I had absolutely no intention on being a part of an administration,” Rios told the crowd in the Altgeld Auditorium Tuesday night.

During the 2008 presidential election she wanted to increase the Latino vote, Rios said. Rios wanted to know which state was the best to approach Latinos on being engaged in voting and how to increase the voting rate.

Since Virginia was the lowest state for Latino voter participation, she wanted to find a way to reach out to the community and express the importance of their voice. She said she met with different people and asked what will make this election better and how can we reach people.

She said thanks to her strategic planning and assistance from everyone who helped make a difference, Democrats won Virginia’s electoral votes for the first time since 1964.

Rios said she is not only honored and proud of her accomplishments as a woman, but also as a Latina. She spoke proudly of being influential to other Latinos and Latinas.

One student asked after the speech about the challenges Rios faced being a woman and a minority. Rios expressed how important it is to stay true and not be self-conscious.

“Performance and achievement,” Rios said. “And once you have that everything else doesn’t matter.”

Rios encouraged students to do things she wished she knew. Value the importance of education, she said. She also told students to look at loans and financial aid as an investment. She also encouraged women to consider careers in economic agencies.

“I’m extremely influenced,” said Jessica Cordero, senior liberal arts and science major. Cordero had the opportunity to speak with Rios at the reception with her sorority, Alpha Sigma Omega Latina Sorority Inc. She also thought it was great for freshman to hear Rios’ speech and be motivated throughout their college career.

NIU trustee Manuel “Manny” Sanchez said he was proud to be able to bring Rios to NIU and speak to students.

“I’m triple honored and being a friend of the president is a wonderful honor,” Sanchez said.