2010 Recipients: Please click on one of the following names to read their inspirational story.

• Nancy Alegria
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    My name is Nancy Alegria and I recently graduated from South Medford High School. I am the oldest of three, born to a family of five and I will be the first generation in my family to attend and graduate from college. Growing up, I have always had my parents’ support when it came to my schooling; without it I would not have the desire that I do for my education. I can honestly say I am very proud of the things I have accomplished so far in my life and, even though I have had some hard experiences, I have managed to stay confident. I know this because of the things I have accomplished. Now that I have graduated I realize that anything is possible if you put your mind to it. The things I have achieved have been a result of my responsibility, determination, and hard work. Being the first generation to attend and graduate from college, my long-term goal is to finish my college education and major in the dental field. This fall I will attend Southern Oregon University and begin my transfer degree to receive my bachelor’s in dental hygiene. The first year courses at SOU for dental hygiene align with the Oregon Institute of Technology dental hygiene program. After college, I see myself taking the first step toward becoming a dental hygienist and fulfilling my career goal. What I look forward to the most once I finish my education is seeing myself serving a purpose in life. That purpose is to serve, assist and impact Latinos in my community who are low income and are at risk with their oral health. Becoming a bilingual hygienist will help me serve, assist, and impact those in greatest need in my community.

• Perla Andrade
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    Proudly, I am the daughter of Concepcion Andrade and Guadalupe Martinez. Everything I have achieved in my life is due to the education my parents and family have given me since a young age. They taught me with actions and not only with words that the most important things in life are not expensive, nor material things, but rather simple things such as love, honesty, respect and responsibility. From a young age, my father and mother taught me to appreciate the things I have in life, for they were not so fortunate to have them. Also they taught me to fight for the things I want in life because when a person works hard for his goal, the feeling of achievement is much more enjoyable. My passion for learning comes from my father, and my hope and willingness to keep going comes from my mother. I love languages because they are the best way of learn- ing cultures. I like to think of people as human beings and if there’s one thing I do not like, that would be generalizing because we are all unique. I think the beauty of human beings comes from our differences and that learning from each other is the best path we can take towards peace. In my heart and soul, I feel a strong desire to help humanity. I see all those children suffering around the world and my heart aches in an agonizing pain because I feel impotent and use- less to know that I cannot do anything to help them, not yet at least. There are many other injustices such as the discrimination that exists in Mexico towards Native Americans and women, how the rich keep abusing the poor without mercy, and how money is the one thing that moves mountains and not faith. I would like to see a world where skin color, race, religion, and socioeconomic status does not matter, but rather we pride ourselves on what we are, human beings. For me to see that world I envisioned, I will not wait and hope things will change, but I will fight and give everything that is in me to accomplish that dream of mine. Someone once said that the journey of a thousand miles start with one step. Becoming a doctor will be that step towards my own journey of a thousand goals to accomplish.

• Marco Ayala
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    My name is Marco Ayala and I always have had the dream of being the first one in my family to graduate from high school. I want to be a good role model for my younger brother who is a freshman at South Medford High School; he is a 4.0 student. My first year of college at Rogue Community College has been a whole new and extraordinary experience. During my first year of college I had a wonderful and unique experience working with electronics and building a robot. Working with electronics is what I really like. That’s the reason I want to get a two year Electronics Technician Certificate and then I will transfer to the Oregon Institute of Technology to get a Bachelor of Science degree in Electronics Engineering Technology. Also, I’ve been working with my community for almost three years. I have volunteered with some community service organizations like UNETE and NWSWA . I have been part of many different school and community clubs, volunteering at HAO, Razas Unidas, Club Latino, OLI, 4H, NLA, Kids Unlimited, among others. I have had the opportunity to mentor high school students and I discovered that there is nothing more satisfying than helping students just like teachers, friends and mentors helped me in the past. I am very thankful for the Chamber Latino Network and the community for choosing me as a recipient of the SOLSF Scholarship. I will keep working hard with my community and school to take advantage of the money generously given to me.

• Ana Gutierrez
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    I have helped around my community, at local schools and other events. I can also say that another one of the contributions I made to my community has been being a part of “My Future, My Choice.” I have been part of this club for three years and I can honestly say that this is my favorite club, because I truly believe in the message the club gives young teens. This program enables me to visit the middle school and teach seventh grade students about the benefits of abstaining from sexual involvement. Along with helping my community, I help my school as well, forming part of the school legislative branch. I represent a class and make sure that the voices of the students are heard by other members of the school’s government. I was elected by my peers to represent them for three straight years now. I’m truly honored to hold this position in the school government.

    I plan on pursuing a career in the health field. For this path, I have chosen Southern Oregon University. After completing my first two years of college, I plan on transferring to the Oregon Health and Science University, where I will complete two years of school and become a registered nurse. Becoming the first person in my family to graduate from high school and college will be a major accomplishment. I want to make all of my family proud, elevate the Gutierrez name, and represent Latinos everywhere. I plan on giving college all my effort and strength because I know that I hate being in second place; I want to be the first in everything I do. I know that in high school I procrastinated my work, but this to me is no longer an option and neither is failure. Thanks to clubs like “My Future, My Choice” and being given the opportunity to volunteer at a local health clinic in Mexico, these activities have led me to choose a career in the health field.

• Blanca Gutierrez
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    At 2:53pm on a regular school day the bell would ring. As most of the students flooded out the door I would calmly pick up my things and head over to Mrs. Snider's room. When I got home my mother would ask what was so important that I couldn't just leave like most everyone else and I would tell her that there is always someone who could use a hand. Most of the time it was Mrs. Snider overloaded with Honor Society or Leadership plans. I told my mom that I'm not comfortable just standing by. If a hand reaches for yours you take it.

    Laughter is an important part of my life. It's contagious too and I love to make others smile. That's why I dance before class starts. That's why I laugh at myself and make funny faces. It might seem silly to some, but it brightens another's day even if only a little.

    My art teacher once said you were crazy if you had already decided what you wanted to do for the rest of your life before even leaving high school. She laughed then and so did I. In all honesty I'm no longer sure about what I want to study; maybe engineering, architecture, or illustration. One thing is certain though - no matter what I decide to do with my future I will continue to help those around me because it's something I've always loved to do. I'll find a way to use my skills to make someone else's life a little better.

• Cynthia Maldonado
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    I believe it is the difficult times we go through that make us who we are. My father was arrested because of his legal status nine months ago. He will soon be deported, if he is lucky, or worse, he could be sentenced to do more time in jail. The news was a real shock to me, but I’ve learned to keep going forward because that’s the whole reason for me being here. Apart from addressing the problem with my dad, I had to face the obstacle of learning a new language. I was born here in the U.S.A, but at very young age I went back to Mexico and spent most of my childhood there. I started high school as a sophomore back in the U.S., but without speaking any English; this has been one of the biggest challenges of my life.

    All the adversities I have gone through have helped shape my aspirations for the interest I have to impact, assist, and give back to my community in the form of helping people defend themselves in the legal system. For this reason I want to become an immigration lawyer, to help people that are dealing with injustices and that don’t have the resources necessary to do it for themselves. I plan to attend RCC in the fall, to get started with my general studies and then transfer to a four year university to pursue a law degree.

• Cynthia Martinez
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    My name is Cynthia Martinez. I'm a normal eighteen year old with huge dreams. I dream of becoming a forensic scientist. Although it sounds gruesome, I find it to be a wonderful career in human service. I believe the family members of a victim from natural disaster, murder or accidental death deserve to know how their loved one died. It would give them peace of mind and maybe even put a criminal in jail.

    I've always been the person to help others with their problems. I love taking the leadership role and being involved. Ever since I can remember I've wanted a career involving helping others such as a teacher, lawyer, police officer, or a dentist. These have all been on my list of careers, but in the back of my mind there was always one that stuck. I thought it wouldn't be possible to study the career of my choice. What would others think and what would they say about me? But, through my family and community experiences I have learned to get over my fear.

    Science is a wonderful topic full of unlimited information. There are more forms of forensic science being used now to put criminals in jail. This career will last a lifetime and will always be needed. I'm the kind of person that gets bored easily, but, in this career, I find myself lost in an adventure. I can't think of anything in my life I've ever wanted this much. My goal has always been to be financially secure before starting a family. My parents did the best they could; I was never cold, hungry, or homeless. But I know that for my siblings and me they suffered. I want to go into forensics for me, and to make my parents proud.

    So, after high school graduation, I'm going to Southern Oregon University for three years to get a bachelor's degree. Then I will transfer to University of California Davis for the remainder of my schooling. After finishing my schooling, I plan on coming back to the Rouge Valley. I plan to work hard and never falter in believing in my dream.

• Lilia Mejia
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    My Hispanic heritage has strongly influenced who I am, my personal ethics and my goals. In Mexico, most families are poor and many young people are not able to even finish high school, but we are rich in values. My parents did not finish primary school, but they passed their values on to me, and taught me to be responsible, respectful, and thankful.

    My personal, educational and career goals can be summarized in one sentence: I want to be the best teacher I can possibly be. I want to be a bilingual early childhood educator because of my combined love for children, learning and my culture. I have compassion, patience and love for young children that will help me recognize the strengths and needs of my future students. I will be able to help the families of my students better understand the experiences of their children in their new cultural setting. Also, as an educator, I will be able to participate in my community as a role model and involved citizen.

    My plan is to graduate from Rogue Community College by June 2011, transfer to Southern Oregon University and complete both a bachelor of arts degree and a certificate to teach English as a Second Language, so that I can work in the field of bilingual early childhood education. My ultimate goal is to receive a Masters of Arts in Teaching and an Oregon Initial Teaching License that would allow me to teach at the early childhood and elementary levels.

• Rebecca Rodas
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    "Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out."- Robert Collier.

    I have always been a determined person because I want to be successful in everything I do. I am driven not only by my thirst for success but to make my mother proud. I owe a lot of what I have today to my mom. She is the most admirable person in my life because she has never failed to push me to reach my full potential, and has never allowed anything to interfere with my education. My mother, as a single parent, has taught me to be independent and a leader. Because of her I am ready to face any challenge with confidence and overcome any barrier. I have dreams and goals like any other person, but aside from that, I have the motivation and endurance to keep going and fulfill my ambitions.

    I am now a high school graduate ready to move on to college. I have taken one more step on the success ladder. I plan to attend the University of Oregon in the fall. There, I want to major in dentistry and minor in counseling. My interest for counseling began my senior year when I noticed many Hispanic students on the verge of not graduating. I figured if I can help motivate one student to continue their education after high school then I have made a difference. I want to help others be successful too, and with the right mindset, I can accomplish this.

• Jorge Teran
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    To start off, let me introduce myself by telling you a bit about me. My name is Jorge Teran. I am 19 years old and a native of Mexico City, Mexico. In my free time I like to play sports and paintball and spend time with my family. I live with my mother, stepdad, little sister and our dog in Talent, Oregon. I have recently finished my first year at RCC where I’m majoring in electronics with a minor in business. I chose this area of study because of the fact that I love technology and the fact that it is always changing and making our lives easier. Upon getting my asso- ciate’s degree from RCC in electronics I plan to transfer to Oregon State and enroll in their electrical engineering program. After receiving my degree I would like to work in engineering electronics and designing circuits for audio systems and speakers, while at the same time, work with the Latino community in promoting higher education and helping others get to college in pursuit of their dreams and aspirations.

• Yuriko Zubia
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    I always knew what characteristics I wanted my future career to have. I wanted it to involve computers, art, solo work and team work. However, I didn’t find what this career would be until I saw Star Trek by J.J. Abrams and saw the credits rolling. I promptly went back home and began extensive research on visual effects director; how to get there, and what schools to look into. I like many aspects of this career, but the characteristics that I love are that there is a certain amount of creative freedom in the way that you design the visual properties of a scene or a character, it is detail oriented, and it combines technicality with arts in a contemporary way. My plan is to go to the Art Institute of Portland this fall to attain a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Effects and Motion Graphics. Furthermore, I would like to pursue a master’s in visual effects at the Academy of Art in San Francisco. One of my goals is to come back to the Rogue Valley and introduce more Latino students to this field. There is a lot of talent in our community and I would like to inspire others to be able to reach beyond the notions of what it is to be an artist— a profession obscured by myths—so that there are more Latinos representing digital art and the Rogue Valley nationwide.

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