The Hispanic Leadership Alliance—a certified employee group of Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) employees—presented scholarships to 21 students on Monday, May 10.

Scholarship recipients were recognized for leadership and mentoring skills in their educational and social activities. Candidates are committed to furthering their education while improving their communities. Each of the applicants will be the first in their families to attend a postsecondary institution.

Learn more about three of the outstanding student award recipients:

• Genaro, a senior at Herndon High School, will be attending Virginia Tech this fall and will major in Business Information Technology, Cybersecurity. He hopes to one day start his own cybersecurity firm. “In September, I started work as a finance intern, and started to notice how small businesses are affected by data breaches, and that really ignited my interest in cybersecurity.” He adds, “I hope to take the initiative to elevate the conversations in the workplace through knowledge based on diverse experiences, because through diversity, we place our society on a pedestal of success and innovation.”
   
• Justice High School student Stefany, whose family moved to the United States 20 years ago from Honduras and Guatemala, will be attending Christopher Newport University with a major in Environmental Science and eventually wants to work in Marine Biology. She says she attributes her success to “my drive throughout all these years and my motivation to keep my grades up and to create a better future for myself.
  
  “I am nowhere near where I want to be right now, but it gives me a sense of comfort that I am starting where I am and changing my mindset, so I make sure I get the ending I have always wanted.”  
   
• Leonardo, originally from Peru and a senior at Robinson Secondary School, will be attending Duke University in the fall with a major in Electrical and Computer Engineering. He will be receiving an International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma, was a member of five honor societies, the Model United Nations, and the Science Olympiad Team. His goal is to work at NASA after college. “Ever since I was little, I have always been fascinated with space.” Gutierrez says that he is grateful for the support of his parents. “Every time I do something they always believe in me, they are always pushing me to keep going even if things get hard, and I think because of that I have been able to succeed and be where I am today.”  

Fabio Zuluaga, assistant superintendent of Region 2, said of all the scholarship recipients, “The stories of hard-working immigrant students in FCPS are inspirational. This is what success is all about—perseverance, determination, and hard work. No matter how many obstacles these students faced, they excelled.”

The winners of the scholarships are:

• Roberto Alemán, Chantilly High School. Scholarship: Minerva Gorena Memorial Language Acquisition.
•  Stefany Argueta-de Leon, Justice High School. Scholarship: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).
•  Julia Caballero, Herndon High School. Scholarship: Leadership.
• Giselle Díaz-García, Justice High School. Scholarship: Leadership.
•  Yamil Díaz-Peña, Justice High School. Scholarship: Engineering.
• Vianca Escobar, Justice High School, Scholarship: Jean Bender Memorial.
• Karina García-Rivera, Justice High School. Scholarship Sonia Rosa Velez Memorial.
•  Melissa Gómez-Villaba, John R. Lewis High School. Scholarship: John R. Lewis Hispanic Student Association–Hispanic Leadership Alliance Scholarship.
• Lisbeth Guevara, South Lakes High School. Scholarship: Social Change and Service.
•  Leonardo Gutiérrez, Robinson Secondary School. Scholarship: Engineering.
• Estefany Hernández, Lake Braddock Secondary School. Scholarship: Lake Braddock Secondary School Hispanic Student Association–Hispanic Leadership Alliance Scholarship
• Ana Jurado-Majano, Justice High School. Scholarship: Advocacy.
•  Nathalie Lozano, Justice High School, Scholarship: Perseverance.
•  Nicole Maldonado Bravo, Madison High School. Scholarship: Peace and Justice.
•  Genaro Mejia, Herndon High School. Scholarship: Humberto Moore Cruz Memorial Scholarship.
•  Katharine Milena Ramirez Castro, Justice High School. Scholarship: Keith Buchanan Memorial.
• Marvin Rodríguez, Justice High School. Scholarship: Marshall and Carmen St. John Family Legacy.
•  Eddy Rosales, Westfield High School, Scholarship: Engineering.
•  Henry Ruano, Lake Braddock Secondary School, Scholarship: Keith Buchanan Memorial.
• Sebastian Sabrera Quispe, Justice High School. Scholarship: Kakaes Family.
• Shamarelly Sánchez, West Springfield High School. Scholarship: West Springfield High School Hispanic Student Association–Hispanic Leadership Alliance Scholarship.

Learn more about the awards and recipients; watch the ceremony here. For more information, contact Jane Cruz at 202-207-5839 or [email protected].