Hispanic Heritage Foundation’s Youth Awards to honor High School seniors from Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, and New York

Visit www.RSVPYA.com to meet and welcome the new class of Youth Awards recipients representing Latinx innovation, leadership, and impact from across the US

ESPAÑOL

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF) announced the Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards recipients for the Red region, which includes Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont. 30 local high school seniors will be honored for their leadership in the classroom and community during a virtual ceremony on February 22^nd, 2022.

Three students (Gold, Silver, and Bronze) will be honored in various categories including:

Business & Entrepreneurship (sponsored by Wells Fargo) 

Gold – Olivia Owens – White Plains, NY

Silver – Devion Mulet-Soltren – New York, NY

Bronze – Karolina Hom – Rockaway Park, NY

Community Service (sponsored by Colgate-Palmolive)

Gold – Angel Cavalieri – Staten Island, NY

Silver – Viki Fernández – New York, NY

Bronze – Michaell Santos-Paulino – Bronx, NY

Education (sponsored by Southwest Airlines)

Gold – Isabella Youssef – Arverne, NY

Silver – Mónica Pérez – Astoria, NY

Bronze – Jasmine Isaac – Bronx, NY

 Engineering (sponsored by HHF)  

Gold – Sofía Odeh – Hartsdale, NY

Silver – Alejandro Chavarria – New York, NY

Bronze – Stephanie Balbuena – Brooklyn, NY

Healthcare & Science (sponsored by CVS Health)

Gold – Marian Caballo – Middle Village, NY

Silver – Helena Servin-DeMarrais – Westport, CT

Bronze – Brian Caballo – Middle Village, NY

Media & Entertainment (sponsored by Comcast NBCUniversal/Telemundo)

Gold – Gabriel González – Melville, NY

Silver – Ava Núñez – Dobbs Ferry, NY

Bronze – Paula Opeña – Cromwell, CT

Public Service & Social Justice (sponsored by Nike)  

Gold – Sebastián Vásquez – Armonk, NY

Silver – Olivia Helfrich-Tapia – Newton, MA

Bronze – Diego Lizotte – Loudon, NH

Sports & Fitness (sponsored by NFL)

Gold – Sofía Gaydos – New York, NY

Silver – Noah Ramos – Huntington Station, NY

Bronze – Gavriella Cabrera – Bay Shore, NY

Sustainability (sponsored by Coca-Cola)

Gold – Andrea Reina – Holbrook, NY

Silver – Marcella Hesser – Cape Elizabeth, ME

Bronze – Victoria Sierra – Brooklyn, NY

Technology (sponsored by T-Mobile)

Gold- Heidy Méndez – Jamaica, NY

Silver- Soleei Guasp – Fall River, MA

Bronze- Tori Famularo – Baldwin, NY

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. 

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Contact: Nicolas@HispanicHeritage.org