HispanicBusiness

WASHINGTON, June 30 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ -- The Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF) announced today that HP will provide each of the national recipients of the prestigious Youth Awards leadership program and the national Hispanic Heritage Teacher Award honoree an HP technology bundle during a special ceremony to be held at Bongo's in Miami on July 1.

Celebrities, community and business leaders and elected officials will gather to honor six graduating high school seniors for their accomplishments in the classroom and community. The national recipients, boasting an average GPA of nearly a perfect 4.0 and matriculating to top colleges, were selected from hundreds of regional Youth Awardees who, in turn, were chosen from more than 10,000 applicants. The teacher was nominated by the Youth Awardees for making the biggest impact in their lives.

"We applaud HP for providing our emerging Latino leaders with the tools they will need to succeed in college," said Jose Antonio Tijerino, President and CEO, Hispanic Heritage Foundation. "We conducted research and found technology to be an area of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) where Latino youth have the greatest need. HHF is thrilled these innovative young minds have an opportunity to move America forward in various fields and thank HP for generously providing these cutting-edge technology solutions."

"In today's world, technology is a critical component in education, especially in the fields of science, math and engineering," said Engelina Jaspers, VP, Americas Corporate Marketing, HP. "HP's relationship with the Hispanic Heritage Foundation gives us the opportunity to support these dedicated students with technology that will play a key role in their academic achievements."

For 11 years, HHF has annually provided half a million dollars in educational grants in recognition of Latino high school seniors' achievements in the classroom and community to more than 200 Latino high school seniors across America. Regional ceremonies take place in twelve cities where the students are celebrated and positioned as role models for their peers (regions include: Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, San Diego, Los Angeles, San Jose/San Francisco-Bay Area, Phoenix, Chicago, Miami, New York, Philadelphia/New Jersey, and Washington, DC). The Youth Awards culminate with the National Youth Awards Presentation where the winners will be provided with the HP technology bundles.

HHF and the National Research Center for College & University Admissions (NRCCUA) surveyed more than 50,000 high school students across America and found Latino students over the past six years demonstrated a trend showing an increase in math, science and engineering, which was a pleasant surprise, but discovered a greater need for support in the area of technology.

The six National Youth Awards recipients who will be receiving the HP technology packages include:

Matthew Atilano, Dundee Crown High School, Sleepy Hollow, IL
National Youth Award for Business, sponsored by National Society of Hispanic MBAs
He will be attending University of Illinois, majoring in business

Omar Cancio, Coral Gables Senior High School, Coral Gables, FL
National Youth Award for Education, sponsored by Southwest Airlines, which was honored with the Inspira Award by HHF for their corporate leadership in the Latino community
He will be attending Harvard University, majoring in history of sciences and mathematics

Carolina White, Friendswood High School, Friendswood, TX
National Youth Award for Engineering & Mathematics, sponsored by ExxonMobil
She will be attending Richard E. Smalley Institute of Nanotechnology at Rice University, majoring in nanotechnology and electrical engineering

Chloe Heckman, Centennial High School, Ellicott City, MD
National Youth Award for Sports, sponsored by SUBWAY Restaurants
She will be attending Wharton School of Business at University of Pennsylvania, majoring in marketing and communications

Krista Oehlke, Greenhill School, Plano, TX
National Youth Award for Journalism, sponsored by NBC Universal and Telemundo
She will be attending Dartmouth University, majoring in English

Massiel De los Santos, John D. O'Bryant School of Mathematics and Science, Boston, MA
National Youth Award for Leadership sponsored by the U.S. Army
She will be attending Smith College, majoring in economics and Latin American studies

Gilbert Viveros, Maywood Academy High School, Los Angeles, CA
National Teacher Award, sponsored by Staples Foundation for Learning

The HP technology bundle being provided to award recipients includes an HP EliteBook laptop, an HP Photosmart All-in-One printer, a computer backpack and additional accessories.

About the Hispanic Heritage Foundation
The Hispanic Heritage Foundation, a nonprofit organization, identifies, inspires, promotes and prepares Latino leaders through educational, cultural and workforce programs. For more information, please visit http://www.HispanicHeritage.org, or for an introduction to HHF's mission, visit http://www.HHFvideo.com.

SOURCE Hispanic Heritage Foundation