2017 Recipients: Please click on one of the following names to read their inspirational story.

• Maria Andrade
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    My childhood in San Jose Casas Caidas, Jalisco, Mexico was difficult and unique. In pursuit of a better life for his family, my father immigrated to the United States when I was seven years old. My mother suffered greatly from his absence and from our lack of money. Without the support of family, I saw the worry in my mother's eyes; her nights became long and full of pain. She had to borrow money from relatives to feed us. She cried and prayed for my father, that he could find a job, so he could help us. We had very little communication from him. His pursuit of a better life for us meant his absence from my elementary graduation, my first communion, my birthdays, and even the death of his mother. We endured this for five years, until we were finally reunited. When I first saw my father, my happiness was immeasurable. I ran into his arms and hugged him. At that moment, I realized that all the sacrifice was worth it. Arriving in a new country with no knowledge of the language, culture, or traditions was very complicated, but with the passage of time, the support of my family, and my desire to succeed, my family and I have survived in this country. However, I will do more than survive. I will pursue an education and thrive. Carrying Latin blood in my veins fills me with pride. I consider my race one of the best its traditions, its culture, its territory, and its people make it great. All Latinos are united for one purpose, to triumph in this country full of opportunities. I am fortunate to be able to study in this country full of dreamers, and I aim to succeed here to help my parents, make a difference in their lives, and return everything they have given me; I know the correct path is through education.

• Luis Ayala
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    Early on in life, I learned the meaning of “ganas” while I watched my mom work endlessly to provide for her five children on her own. Soon, my two oldest brothers began working in their teenage years to help us get by. Eventually it just wasn’t enough. We immigrated to the United States in search of a better future, and a more fulfilling life. I was the youngest child in my family and I often feel fortunate that I didn’t have to make the kind of sacrifices that other members in my family have. My life has always been about education, mainly because my family has given me that opportunity and because I dream about making a better future for them. I feel that it’s my duty to do well for myself, for those who have supported and encouraged me, and for my community.

    I am a DREAMer, I must be perseverant, hardworking, and often hopeful as I move forward with my education. I migrated from Morelia, Michoacan to Medford, Oregon at age eleven. Right away, I had the fortune to engage with community organizations and individuals committed to the youth without discrimination. When I got to the States, I didn’t know how to speak English. Within a year and a half my ELL teachers wanted me out of the program and placed me into advanced classes. By high school, I knew I wanted to make a statement about my future and graduated as a valedictorian with various honors, earning a full ride to Southern Oregon University. During ninth grade, my mother had gotten very ill and was forced to return to Mexico because we could not afford health care here, as tough as it was for me to say goodbye, it has also motivated me to do well for her.

    At SOU, I was part of the inaugural Honors College, played three sports, and worked multiple jobs. I was often overwhelmed but time and time again when I was ready to give up, I was empowered by my family and people who invested in my education, helping me keep my head up and continue striving to achieve my goals and dreams. I am now in the OHSU School of Nursing and after I graduate, I plan on serving minorities, underserved, and disadvantaged populations. I will be an advocate for those who lack health resources, I will fight for my people in the community, and I will practice without bias. I am excited to make a positive difference within my community and empower young Latinos who hear my story to dream big.

• Jasmine Centeno
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    Our society is made of different cultures that empower and emerge our communities towards the success of diversity. Together, we have what it takes to develop ourselves to be innovational figures that propel our society forward. As Latinos, we are consistently dedicating our lives to embrace adversity and education, to achieve our dreams and turn them into realities. Working with my parents at a young age became difficult when I had to obtain multiple responsibilities. I was determined to honor my parent’s painstaking work to offer me a better future. They have taught me first-hand the backbreaking-work that comes with living a stable life. As I continue to appreciate life and value working for my aspirations, I repeatedly enforce my notion to be the first in my family to attend college. For them and the stereotypes surrounding my culture, I am motivated to obtain my diploma and become a voice to our often-silenced voices. I aspire to be a biomedical scientist and teacher. I want my preparation and skills to ensure those in pain and students eager to make a difference can obtain the support needed to get there. I believe it can be life changing to have an influential person that encourages and believes in the potential to be someone and accept who we are regardless of what we look like, where we come from, or what we believe.

• Luis Gustavo Chaparro Gonzalez
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    When I was four, my family and I moved from Queretaro, Mexico to Oregon to pursue a better life with the sole purpose of a quality education. Realizing the opportunities my parents provided me had an intangible effect in my demonstration of strong work ethic, determination, and a desire to learn. I will make positive results out of their sacrifices. There have been many opportunities to go down the wrong path, but I’ve chose the right path because of many positive reasons. The one I hold the closest is that I want to set an example for Latinos that with hard work, determination, and persistence anything is possible.

    I currently attend the Crater School of Business, Innovation, and Science. I participate in diverse programs like Crater Entertainment Sports Programming Network (CESPN) where I was able to interview famous actors and film directors at the Ashland Film Festival. In addition, the school has honored my efforts by selecting me has one of three Rotary Student of the Month.

    As a kid, I dreamed in having a career that revolved around finding innovative solutions to the world’s most complex challenges. As a civil engineer I can make the world a safer place by maintaining the structure and infrastructure s of bridges, roads, buildings, airports, and dams. I’d like to adapt a quote Pele once made, “Success is no accident. Its hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do.” Remember to always chase your dreams, because at the end of the road there is always going to be positive results.

• Karina Cobian
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    Growing up in a hardworking Hispanic community has had an incredible influence on the person I am today. My father, Juvencio Cobian, is a semi-truck driver, and my mother, Maria Cobian, is a seasonal agricultural worker. Both of my parents come from Degollado, Jalisco and have sacrificed being with their families in order to provide my two siblings and I with a better life and an opportunity to have an education. My parents have told me that if I attend college, I could do whatever I am truly passionate about. I know that being a field worker is not the road I want to take. I want to pave my own path and pursue a career in the medical field, while making my parent’s struggles worthwhile. Being of Hispanic ancestry has blessed me with a determined mindset and a drive to succeed in life. I have learned to set high standards for myself and to know that I will only meet those standards by working hard. All my accomplishments, my talent, and my passion I owe to my family and community. It is an honor to represent the heritage that I was privileged to be a part of.

• Ernesto Hernandez
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    I was born and raised in Mexico in a family of five. I moved to the United States when I was twelve years old. I quickly learned the language by watching TV in English and making flashcards. After I started getting a good grasp of the language, I started challenging myself by taking Honors and AP classes. Learning English has also allowed me to start getting involved in school activities, clubs, and sports. One of my biggest accomplishments comes from joining Skills USA. Through this program, I was able to compete at a Cabinet Making competition where I earned first place in state and tenth place nationally. My parents emphasize the importance of being a humble and respectful man. They work as much as possible to be able to help with my education and my brothers’. Their hard work motivates me to earn a college degree. I plan on doing so by graduating from either OIT or OSU with a Civil Engineering degree so I can give back as much as I can to my family.

• Madelene Marroquin Salazar
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    My heritage has shaped me to the individual I am today, because of the everyday obstacles I encounter as a result of migrating to the U.S. As a Mexican girl, I face discrimination inside and outside of school. I have been marginalized due to my culture, socioeconomic background, and race. Each challenge has motivated me to achieve a college education because in my future I will help my family overcome financial struggles, at times my goals for a higher education seemed to be out of reach. The future I wanted was viewed as a fantasy but I yearn for knowledge, which motivated me to work hard regardless of the difficulty. Along the way I motivate my peers and am a role model to my younger siblings, encourage them to build awareness of their heritage and others. I am proud to stand out as a result of my heritage because I can display to my family and community that a higher education is possible and worth the effort. Being an immigrant has its challenges when pursuing a higher education, but through perseverance and the support of the Latino community, I will exceed to the best of my abilities.

• Anabel Mendoza
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    I will be a second-generation college graduate. As a minority, it is easy to lose your culture and sense of self, especially in a school environment. However, with my family’s support and deep cultural pride, I was raised with the values that I so strongly hold in my life. Because of this, I feel there is a balance that has formed me into a well-rounded person since I can make amazing tortillas, hem clothing and pass AP classes as well. Following my graduation, it is my goal to pursue a medical career and contribute to the overall health and wellness of Southern Oregon. As my high school years come to an end, I recognize that I have grown so much from the many privileges that I have been born into. Yet, I have decided to use these privileges to further pursue my education and contribute to those less fortunate through my work and dedication. With each significant step in my life, I feel I represent all my Latino companions because my achievements are also theirs as I strive to educate myself in order to serve them as best I can.

• Leticia Meza
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    My parents grew up in Mexico they only made it to the 5th grade, and after that were forced to work in the fields for their families. Growing up families like theirs barely had enough money for food which is what forced Latinos in Mexico to pull their kids out of school to work. The little amount of education they did receive is valued very much by them and implied to me and my brothers as much as possible. Both of my parents worked really hard until they met and decided to migrate to the U.S. to create a better life. Eventually, they had me and my two younger brothers here in Oregon. Ever since I can remember my father always told us our education should always come first. These words mean everything to me and my brothers since my father passed away four years ago, everything we do now is to honor him and what he taught us. Me making it this far and only being months away from college is a great pride and joy for my family. Knowing how hard it was for my parents to make it this far and give me and my brothers a better life has only pushed me to work harder with pride of who I am and what my heritage represents. Latinos are seen as one minority nowadays, being this the case has only made me want my success so much more to prove to all; Latinos can do anything we set our mind to.

• Guillermina Rodriguez
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    Growing up, my family has always encouraged me to continue my education after high school. Through this encouragement, I decided that I would be the first in my family to complete college. Coming from a Latino family, I was taught that education was the key to success. My father and mother migrated from Mexico to give my siblings and I the opportunity to pursue a higher education. My mother repeatedly reminds me that education is the difference between working a job merely to make ends meet and achieving a career that I am passionate about. I'm passionate about science, specifically the science that revolves around how our planet works. I learned that earthquakes and natural disasters were a phenomenon that I wanted to study further. I plan to earn a bachelor’s degree in Earth Science while minoring in both Physics and Spanish. I will contribute to society by providing a resource to clean energy and protecting the environment that surrounds us. Pursuing a science degree as a Latina I face many challenges ahead of me, but my heritage has taught me that strong work ethic, resilience, and ambition can lead me to a successful future. I strive to become a prosperous individual so that the sacrifices my parents made will not be made in vain.

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