Washington, D.C. – The Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF) announced the nine recipients of the National Youth Awards from across the United States with a special video presentation during the pre-show of the Hispanic Heritage Awards. The National Awardees were selected from 270 Regional Awardees who were chosen from more than 30,000 applicants from all 50 states plus Puerto Rico and Washington, DC. The National Awardees each represent a sector or “track” listen below, and will be featured on social media campaigns as role models.
Eugenia Trakal – Business & Finance – Gilbert, AZ (presented by East Los Capital)
Jessica Ramos – Education – Oakland, CA (presented by Southwest Airlines)
Agustín León-Sáenz – Engineering – Albuquerque, NM (presented by BP)
Johanna Campos – Entrepreneurship – Huntington Station, NY (presented by TikTok)
Leonardo Daniels – Healthcare & Science – San Francisco, CA (presented by CVS Health)
Melissa Reyes – Media & Entertainment – Passaic, NJ (presented by NALIP)
Michelle Alas Molina – Public Service – Walnut Creek, CA (presented by CHCI)
Sebasstian Adriano – Social Justice – Caguas, Puerto Rico (presente by Nike)
Marina Sánchez – Technology – Pinecrest, FL (presented by T-Mobile)
Colgate-Palmolive also sponsored Haz la U™ (“Make the U”) to provide additional scholarships. Other supporters of the Youth Awards include the American Federation of Teachers, Capital Wire, Crowell & Moring, Es Tiempo, Freddie Mac, Indie Desk, Mastercard, Pepco Holdings, and Teach for America.
Meet the Awardees:
Johanna Campos, Eugenia Trakal, & Agustín León-Sáenz
Marina Sánchez, Jessica Ramos, & Melissa Reyes
Leonardo Daniels, Michelle Alas Molina, & Sebasstian Adriano
“We are proud to honor another outstanding class of young Latinx leaders who are already making an impact on our classrooms, communities and soon our workforce,” said Antonio Tijerino, President and CEO of HHF. “We are grateful to our sponsors for their shared vision and support as we focus on youth and the sectors we consider priorities for America.”
The Youth Awards were founded in 1998 and since then, approximately 10,000 high school students have been recognized with more than seven million dollars in Innovative Leadership grants being provided which have impacted over a million people through the youth-led efforts. The Youth Awards program is the main feeder to HHF LOFT (Latinx On Fast Track) Institute, which is an active institution focused on leadership, workforce, community, culture, and social justice led in partnership by the Hispanic Heritage Foundation and Trinity University to advance the vision of the participants in an innovative, sustainable, and impactful way as part of a “Continuum of Leadership.” The recipients as well as selected 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
The Hispanic Heritage Foundation is a national non-profit focused on education, workforce, social impact, and culture through innovative leadership (Visit www.HispanicHeritage.org) Follow HHF on Facebook , Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.
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