2023 Latino Scholarship Fund by

MANUEL FRAU RAMOS

The Latino Scholarship Fund of Western Massachusetts held its Annual Banquet at the Log Cabin in Holyoke on May 23, 2023. The annual event recognized and celebrated the achievement of outstanding community leaders. Scholarships were awarded to a group of regional Latinx high school student graduates for their academic achievements and for their acceptance to colleges and universities to pursue post-secondary education.

Since its inception in the early 1990s, the local based organization Latino Scholarship Fund, Inc. has awarded thousands of dollars in scholarships to hundreds of Latinx students from Pioneer Valley high schools. The scholarships intend to help these students to defray the high financial costs of their first academic year

The winners of the 2023 Latino Scholarships are:

• ●Angelina De León Northeastern University

• ●Janieliz García Rivera UMass Dartmouth

• ●Ryan Gordon Union College

• ●Mirna Guzmán Elms College

• ●Daritza Martínez Bay Path University

• ●Kiomaris Martínez Elms College

• ●Kiara Rosario Bay Path University

• ●Melquisedec Santiago Western New England University

• ●Justice Sostre García Hampshire College

• ●Genesis Torres Springfield College

• ●Sidney Valentín Johnson & Wales University

The Keynote Speaker was Delmarina López, Esq., an Educator, Attorney, City Councilor, and small business owner. López is an Afro-Latina born and raised in the east coast of Puerto Rico. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminal from Bay Path University and a Juris Doctor from Western New England University School of Law. López is a first generation college graduate and the first in her family to obtain a doctoral level degree. López currently serves as a City Councilor in the City of Chicopee, MA. She represents Ward 3 in Willimansett where she grew up and resides.

LSF Alum Speaker was Afro-Latino Jacksiel Colón Rodríguez

Originating from Puerto Rico, his family relocated to Massachusetts where he spent the majority of his life. An alumnae of Kelly School in Holyoke, he became a first-generation graduate from Skidmore College ‘21 with a degree in Business Management and Sociology. He share that he always had professional interests in management, strategizing, public relations, and working with colleagues/customers.

This year Carlos Vega Community Champion Award went to Northfield Mt. Hermon/GCC Upward Bound Program. This program, originally at Northfield Mount Hermon School, moved to to GCC after

55 years of serving students in Western Massachusetts. Breyana Roman, and Sharon Gralnick accepted this award on behalf of the program. The Carlos Vega Community Champion Award celebrates a local individual or any educational oriented program whose actions have benefited the Latino community in the region.

Carlos Alberto Vega immigrated with his family to Holyoke Ecuador when he was 5 years old. Over the course of his life Carlos endeavored tirelessly to benefit the disenfranchised people within the city of Holyoke. The focus of his community organizing ran the gamut of housing rights, cultural celebration, education and economic development. In each endeavor he championed the needs and voices of the growing Latino community in Holyoke. Carlos served as Executive Director of Nueva Esperanza for many years, a Holyoke based community development agency he helped found.

The Antonia Pantoja Award for Distinguished Achievement was granted to Springfield College Professor of Social Work Miguel L. Arce

Arce is a community and organizational leader known for continually supporting and advocating for the Latino community. He has been a prominent participant in efforts to promote a high quality of life for the community, with a particular focus on the wellbeing of the lowincome population. Arce was the founding Director of the Nueva Esperanza Community Development Corporation, one of the most important community service organizations in Holyoke. Miguel served as Director of El Instituto de la Familia/New North Citizens Council in Springfield, and as Regional Director of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Human Services as well as others.

Arce is a founding member of the Carlos Vega Fund for Social Justice. He has also been an Adjunct Professor at Elms College, Social Work Department, and at the Department of Sociology at Holyoke Community College. Since 2005, Arce is a Professor at the Springfield College School of Social Work and Behavioral Sciences. With fellow Professor Walter Mullen, Miguel has co-authored seventy guest opinion editorials published in El Sol Latino on policy and programmatic issues affecting the poor. He also co-authored with Professor Mullen an article, ‘Resilience of Families Living in Poverty’, continued on page 5