Skip to content

Hispanic Heritage Foundation announce recipients of the Youth Awards celebrating high school seniors for leadership in classroom and community, and focus on various categories

Hispanic Heritage Foundation

Awardees to be celebrated during virtual ceremonies – Engineering (Category) Award Ceremony will be on Saturday, February 8th

Versión en español

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – The Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF) today announced the Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards recipients for the Engineering category, presented by Southwest Airlines. A total of 30 outstanding high school seniors across the country will be honored for their dedication to serving others, vision, and leadership in the classroom and community. The honorees will be celebrated during a virtual ceremony on Saturday, February 8th at 6 PM AST/ 5 PM EST / 2 PM PST.

“We are thrilled to celebrate the achievements and potential of these young, innovative leaders who will carry on the tradition of past Youth Awardees,” said Antonio Tijerino, President and CEO of HHF. “We are grateful to our dedicated sponsors who understand the importance of investing in the youngest and most dynamic segment of our population. We need their leadership today, not just in the future because we can’t afford to wait.”

Paulina Chávez, known for her roles in Netflix’s “The Expanding Universe of Ashley Garcia” and “Fate: The Winx Saga,” will host the upcoming five virtual Youth Awards Ceremonies and the in-person National Ceremony this Spring. Her film “The Long Game” is streaming on Netflix. Paulina stars in Taylor Sheridan’s drama series “Landman” on Paramount+ and is set to appear in Disney+’s “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip.”

Click here to RSVP and learn more about this group of 30 high school seniors selected from ten regions across the United States:

Blue Region: DE, DC, KY, MD, NJ, PA, VA, and WV.

GOLD – Massimo Mansueto – Linden, NJ – St Joseph High School

SILVER – Xochilt Saavedra – Odenton, MD – Meade High School

BRONZE – Cesar Ramirez – Passaic, NJ – Passaic Academy for Science and Engineering

Burgundy Region: OK and TX.

GOLD – Melissa Alfaro-Zeledon – Dallas, TX – Dubiski Career High School

SILVER – Angelique Rivera – Oklahoma, OK – Dove Science Academy

BRONZE – Stephan Lopez – Grand Prairie, TX – Dubiski Career High School

Green Region: FL and GA.

GOLD – Cesar Benemelis Lozano – Miami, FL – Miami Coral Park Senior High School

SILVER – Hernan Yubrin – Weston, FL – Cypress Bay High School

BRONZE – Jacob Dumas – Miami, FL – Westminster Christian School

Orange Region: AL, AR, LA, MS, NC, SC, and TN.

GOLD – Gabriela Estrada Losada – Franklin, TN – Ravenwood High School

SILVER – Alejandra Rodriguez – Easley, SC – Easley High School

BRONZE – Maria Palomino-Velez – Durham, NC – Josephine Dobbs Clement Early College High School

Pink Region: IL, IN, IA, MI, MN, MO, OH, and WI.

GOLD – Bella Bianchini – Fox Point, WI – Nicolet Union High School

SILVER – Gabriela La Rota – Johnston, IA – Johnston High School

BRONZE – Marc Towsend – Oswego, IL – Oswego East High School

Purple Region: CA and NV.

GOLD – Sofia Villacorta – Corona, CA – Fairmont Preparatory Academy

SILVER – Adrian Magallon – Oakland, CA – Lighthouse Community Charter Public School

BRONZE – Jorleney Aguirre – Perris, CA – Orange Vista High School

Red Region: CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, RI, and VT.

GOLD – Marilin Samuelian – Bronxville, NY – Maria Regina High School

SILVER – Joseph Estrella – Massapequa Park, NY – Kellenberg Memorial High School

BRONZE – Stephen Perez – New York, NY – Columbia Secondary School

Tan Region: AK, AS, GU, HI, PR, and VI.

GOLD – Diego Velasco – San Juan, PR – Robinson School

SILVER – Layla Ballet Torres – Guaynabo, PR – Colegio Rosa-Bell

BRONZE – Paola Robles – Guaynabo, PR – Colegio Rosa Bell

Teal Region: CO, ID, KS, MT, NE, ND, OR, SD, UT, WA, and WY.

GOLD – Lucas Blat-Phillips – Kirkland, WA – Lake Washington High School

SILVER – Juan Morales-Lopez – Meridian, ID – Renaissance High School

BRONZE – Brian Lopez Medina – Lincoln, NE – Lincoln High School

Yellow Region: AZ and NM.

GOLD – Brianna Esqueda – Tucson, AZ – Desert View High School

SILVER – Edward Scott – Santa Fe, NM – Capital High School

BRONZE – Jacob Martinez – Tolleson, AZ – St. John Paul II Catholic High School

At five virtual ceremonies presented by The Coca-Cola Company (Green category), Colgate-Palmolive (Community Service category), Southwest Airlines (Engineering category), T-Mobile, (Technology category) and Wells Fargo (Entrepreneurship category), three students per region will be honored with gold, silver, and bronze medallions. One national recipient per category will be recognized and celebrated at the National Youth Awards ceremony.

Other supporters of the Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards include Capital Wire PR, Es Tiempo, Freddie Mac, Intersect, Minecraft Education, and Teach for America.

About the Hispanic Heritage Foundation and the Youth Awards

HHF’s mission focuses on education, workforce, social impact, and identity through the lens of leadership and culture. Through HHF’s 26-year-old Youth Awards program, tens of thousands of high-achieving high school students have been recognized and received more than eight million dollars to support their education, ideas or projects.  Once they are vetted through the Youth Awards, alumni are connected to a larger network providing mentors, programs, and career path opportunities through the award-winning LOFT (Latinos On Fast Track) program throughout college, grad school and into their careers. Visit www.HispanicHeritage.org. Follow HHF on InstagramFacebookX, and TikTok.  Listen to the HHF podcast Fritanga on your favorite streaming service and HHF YouTube channel.

###

Media Contact: [email protected]

Back To Top