The Latino Generations Scholarship Committee will celebrate its 10th anniversary Oct. 10 with an evening honoring the students, families, donors and volunteers of San Benito County who have supported the scholarship program since its founding.
The “A Decade of Student Success” celebration will be held from 5-9:30pm at Damm Vineyards, 3028 Cienega Road, in Hollister. The event will include dinner, dancing and remarks from speakers connected to the fund’s first decade, says an event announcement from Latino Generations.
The event’s theme is “Appreciating The Past… Cultivating The Future.”
Since its inception, Latino Generations has awarded 127 scholarships totaling nearly $183,000. The money has been raised in San Benito County and awarded to local students.
“Ten years ago a group of neighbors decided that no student in this county should have to put college out of reach for a lack of a few hundred dollars,” said Lizett Rodriguez Peña, chair of the Latino Generations Scholarship Committee and a Community Foundation for San Benito County board member. “What has grown from that is a community habit of showing up for our students, year after year.”
Among this year’s scholarship recipients are students pursuing careers in engineering, dance and architecture.
One of the scholars, Ruth, will attend the University of Washington to study civil engineering, says a press release from Latino Generations. The press release did not include Ruth’s or other recipients’ last names.
She has mentored younger students through Algebra Academy, taught programming basics to children through Meta’s “Engineer for a Week” program and took second place at the County Science Fair for a project involving drone propellers.
She also has danced for 16 years and volunteers with a tap class for children ages 7 to 10.
Another recipient, Kaylee, will attend California State University, Fresno, as a dance major, with plans to become a choreographer and dance teacher, Latino Generations said. She has performed ballet, modern, hip hop and musical theater and has choreographed her own work.
She has volunteered with the Salvation Army and Youth Alliance, participating in donation drives, toy drives and community cleanups.
Frida, another of this year’s scholarship recipients, plans to study architecture and eventually establish her own firm, focusing on sustainable housing for farmworking families. During her junior year, she organized an organic farming project on her grandparents’ farm that distributed 1,500 pounds of produce to 270 local families.
She also recruited more than 20 volunteers and taught them about growing, cooking and preserving food.
Tickets to the Oct. 10 anniversary celebration are $60. Seating is limited to 150 people. A no-host bar will be available. Sponsorships begin at $500 and include reserved seating and recognition, says the press release.
Tickets are available at tinyurl.com/lg-10-gala. Sponsorship information is available from Arturo Muñoz at am****@***********to.org or 831.269.5222.
