The Hispanic Scholarship Fund has announced that it will honor five people with the induction into the HSF Alumni Hall of Fame.
Gabriel Esparza, Jose Gamez, Esmeralda Gutierrez, Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa and Aida L. Maisonet Giachello are being honored for excelling in their respective fields. The inductees will be honored at a gala Sept. 13 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington, D.C.
Gabriel Esparza
Mr. Esparza is the director of marketing and industry development for American Express. He's the founder of the Bronx School of the Arts, which is aimed at giving minority elementary school students access to arts education. HSF's inductees are each honored in a different area, and Mr. Esparza received the Altruista (the Humanitarian) award for personifying the spirit of gratitude and the value of giving back.
Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa
Mr. Quinones-Hinojosa is an award-winning brain surgeon with posts at Johns Hopkins Univeristy. He's the assistant professor of neurosurgery and oncology, and the director of the university's Brain Tumor Program. He received the Inspirador (the Motivator) for personifying the hard work and sacrifice made by Latino families in pursuit of a college education.
Esmeralda Gutierrez
Ms. Gutierrez is an elementary school teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District. She was diagnosed with a degenerative hearing disability at age 14, forcing her to read teachers' lips to succeed. Ms. Gutierrez pursued a college degree before her disability worsened and became a credentialed teacher at age 20. She received the Brillante (the Rising Star) for personifying limitless potential.
Jose Gamez
Mr. Gamez, who holds a Ph.D., is an assistant professor at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte in its College of Architecture. He is working to get architecture to be sensitive to the cultural needs of Hispanics. He received the Optimista (the Optimist), for success achieved through persistence in the face of adversity.
Aida L. Maisonet
Ms. Maisonet is the director and founder of Midwest Latino Health Research, Training and Policy Center at the University of Illinois, and an associate professor at Jane Addams College of Social Work. The center focuses on the needs of Hispanics dealing with chronic diseases, such as diabetes, asthma, and cancer. She received the Triunfador (the Victor), for realizing the ultimate professional achievement and for "raising the bar."
HSF is the nation's leading organization supporting Hispanic high education, and hopes to inspire others by through the examples of its five honorees.
Founded in 1975, its mission is to double the rate of Hispanics earning college degrees. In support of that goal, HSF has awarded more than 78,000 scholarships totaling $195 million to Hispanics attending more than 1,700 colleges and universities. In the last academic year alone, HSF awarded scholarships totaling $25.3 million to Hispanic students.
