Hispanic Scholarship Fund Alums Honored at Hall of Fame Gala

By Sharmaine Jones

Last night (October 5) on the 36th floor conference room of New York's Mandarin Oriental Luxury Hotel, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF) held their Alumni Hall of Fame Gala and we were in attendance.

The Hall of Fame Gala celebrated and acknowledged the achievements of outstanding HSF alumni recipients who personify the power of higher education. Keeping the program moving along was this years master of ceremonies: CNBC's personal finance expert Carmen Wong Ulrich. Ulrich did an excellent job using witty, lighthearted humor to keep the audience engaged. And boy did we need a few laughs throughout the ceremony because there was a short video shown for each inductee giving a brief description of their family's struggles and explaining the impact HSF had on their ability to go to college. These videos – what we like to describe as – “Messages of Hope” showed touching stories of survival, perseverance, sacrifice and strong family values. There wasn't a dry eye in the room. This years alumni inductees – all the first in their family to go to college – include:

Altruista, Yesmi Rios, English Language Learner Coordinator, Clark County School District, NV
Brillante, Lisa Pino, Deputy Administrator, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Food
and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Inspirador, Roger Cepeda, Associate General Counsel, CT, GE Healthcare
Optimista, Edgar Martinez, D.O., F.A.C.P.S., Medical Director, Dr. Edgar Martinez Medical Center

CNN's Anderson Cooper was in attendance to present the Corporate Honoree award to Time Warner. Chairman and CEO Jeff L. Bewkes accepted the award on the company's behalf.

Giving one of the most touching speeches of the night was Honorary Inductee: “Triunfador” Cesar Conde, President, Univision Networks. He spoke about how HSF afforded him the opportunity to compete with tools of education and emphasized that in the Latino community “High School dropout rate is too high and college matriculation is too low.” He also shared his motivational mantra: “Dream big, work hard and stay humble”.

During the event we had the pleasure of dining with HSF scholarship recipient Sergio F. Serratto. Mr. Serratto spoke with us about how he volunteered to help out with the event as his way of “giving back”. He now attends NYU Stern and will be a part of the Finance and International Business class of 2011.

Serratto is another example of HSF's importance and success. Celebrating 35 years of excellence, HSF is the nation's leading Hispanic scholarship organization, providing the Hispanic community more college scholarships and educational outreach support than any other organization in the country. Designed to be a relief valve for students ready to enter college, as well as their families, HSF has successfully created a national movement awarding over $300 million, resulting in close to 100,000 scholarships to students in need.

What's so amazing about this program is that it's not only designed to send Latinos to college, they also educate their families about the important role parents play in the process. To accomplish this, “Your Words Today” – launched April 27, 2010 – is a multi-media, bilingual PSA campaign aimed to reinforce among Hispanic parents that their involvement is crucial and their encouragement is vital.

Attending the event was such an honor and being in the presence of such prominent successful Latinos gave us an overwhelming sense of pride and hope. Kudos to HSF for not only addressing a Hispanic issue, but an American issue.

For more information about how to apply for scholarships or donate to the cause, visit www.HSF.net.

Tags Agentes De Cambio, Anderson Cooper, Carmen Wong Ulrich, CNBC, CNN, Edgar Martinez, Hispanic Scholarship Fund, Lisa Pino, Roger Cepeda, Time Warner, Yesmi Rios