Madras HS student receives national Hispanic Heritage Youth Award
WASHINGTON – (KTVZ) -- The Hispanic Heritage Foundation) announced Thursday the Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards recipients for the Teal region, which includes Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
Thirty local high school seniors will be honored for their leadership in the classroom and community during a virtual ceremony on March 1.
Madras High School student Katherine Valdez, the Silver honoree in the Education category, has a 3.78 GPA, the organization said.
Three students (Gold, Silver, and Bronze) will be honored in various categories including:
Business & Entrepreneurship (sponsored by Wells Fargo)
Gold – Jaden Bales – Gresham, OR
Silver – Brayan Chávez – Bell, CO
Bronze – Mila Herrera – Kansas City, KS
Community Service (sponsored by Colgate-Palmolive)
Gold – Kayle Orantes – North Salt Lake, UT
Silver – Miguel Silva – Erie, CO
Bronze – Deliannys Reyes – Colorado Springs, CO
Education (sponsored by Southwest Airlines)
Gold – Arlene García – Bellevue, NE
Silver – Katherine Valdez – Madras, OR
Bronze – Harian Aldama– Lafayette, CO
Engineering (sponsored by HHF)
Gold – Ana Rojas – Colorado Springs, CO
Silver – Aniella del Río – Aurora, CO
Bronze – Samantha Romero – Lone Tree, CO
Healthcare & Science (sponsored by CVS Health)
Gold – Jannette Castro-Gómez – Omaha, NE
Silver – Samantha Chávira – Lyons, NE
Bronze – Ruby Olvera – Idaho City, ID
Media & Entertainment (sponsored by Comcast NBCUniversal/Telemundo)
Gold – Sophia Nordling – Roeland Park, KS
Silver – Alexander Márquez – Richland, WA
Bronze – Pamela Cárdenas – Denver, CO
Public Service & Social Justice (sponsored by Nike)
Gold – Thalisa Saldivar – Toppenish, WA
Silver – Esperanza Herrera-Moore – Albany, OR
Bronze – Dinell Espinoza – Golden, CO
Sports & Fitness (sponsored by NFL)
Gold – Izaya Laguardia – Portland, OR
Silver – Juan García – Johnstown, CO
Bronze – Anthony Martínez Rosales – Denver, CO
Sustainability (sponsored by Coca-Cola)
Gold – Haley Bates – Omaha, NE
Silver – Liliana McClain – Portland, OR
Bronze – Alexandra Bernal – Denver, CO
Technology (sponsored by T-Mobile)
Gold– Diego Taboada-Cross – Denver, CO
Silver–Jessie Mendoza – Vancouver, WA
Bronze– Diana Hernández – Beverly, WA
After the regional ceremonies conclude, one national recipient per category, for a total of 10, will be recognized and celebrated at the National Youth Awards Ceremony in person (depending on the Covid restrictions). To follow the Youth Awards virtual ceremonies online, use the hashtag #YA23. Please visit www.rsvpya.com to register.
“We are thrilled to honor and celebrate 300 Latinx outstanding young leaders, but it is also a call to action because they give our community and our nation our best hope,” said Antonio Tijerino, President and CEO of HHF. “We are grateful to our dedicated sponsors for continuing to invest in these leaders of today. Also, a big thank you to singer Ozuna who was the spokesperson for the Youth Awards promoting our applications during Hispanic Heritage Month in partnership with the NFL.”
The Youth Awards for more than two decades are the main feeder to the LOFT (Latinx On Fast Track) Leadership Institute (LLI), which is an active institution focused on leadership, workforce, community, culture, and social justice across 10 sectors (10 cohorts of 30 students bridging the end of their senior year in high school to freshman year in college) founded by Trinity University and HHF. The Youth Awardees and the applicants will also be funneled into the LOFT Network with access to mentors, resources, networking, workshops, symposia, summits, Charlas, and internships and full-time positions with Fortune 500 Companies.
About the Hispanic Heritage Foundation and the Youth Awards
The Hispanic Heritage Foundation is a national non-profit focused on education, workforce, social impact, and culture. Through HHF’s 23-year-old Youth Awards program, more than 20,000 impactful Latinx high school students have been identified, celebrated, prepared, and connected across the country and provided with more than $5 million in grants for their education or for an idea or project.
Visit www.HispanicHeritage.org and follow HHF on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.
