Local students honored by Hispanic Heritage Foundation

The Hispanic Heritage Foundation has announced that three Queens students are among 21 Northeast area high school seniors that will be recipients of the 2008 NorthEast Regional Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards.
The students will be honored for their leadership in the classroom and community and promoted as role models for their peers during a ceremony at the Cornell Club in Manhattan on Thursday, May 8.
Jessica Ann Aviles of Bayside and Alyson Beth Cadena of South Ozone Park will receive the Gold Medallion $3,000 educational grant, and Elizabeth Estrada of Elmhurst will be awarded the Silver Medallion $2,000 grant.
Twelve regional committees selected the awardees from thousands of applications submitted by graduating high school seniors of Hispanic descent. Selection criteria included academic achievement, community service, and category focus. The award categories are Academic Excellence, Business, Education, Engineering and Mathematics, Journalism, Leadership, and Sports.
“The NorthEast Awardees are role models and leaders who excel inside and outside of the classroom,” said Jos/ Antonio Tijerino, President and CEO of the Hispanic Heritage Foundation. “They and their fellow regional honorees represent the next generation of emerging Hispanic professionals, and we are committed to providing them with opportunity and support.”
After the local ceremonies, the 252 Regional Youth Awards recipients will be narrowed to one National Youth Award recipient for each of the seven categories. Those individuals will be honored at the National Youth Awards presentation, where each student will receive an additional $5,000 educational grant and a laptop computer. The awardees will be then be presented with their award during a special ceremony at the 22nd Annual Hispanic Heritage Awards in Washington, DC on October 9, 2008.
The Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards were founded in 1998 to identify and promote the next generation of role models by celebrating their accomplishments in the classroom and community.
“These young leaders are setting a positive example not only for the Hispanic community, but for people throughout the country,” said actor Wilmer Valderrama, Official Spokesperson of the 2008 Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards. “The determination, generosity of spirit and accomplishment they have demonstrated at such young ages are only a small fraction of what they will eventually go on to achieve, and I applaud their hard work.”
A not-for-profit organization, The Hispanic Heritage Foundation inspires and prepares Latino leaders through national cultural, educational and career development programs. For more information about the Hispanic Heritage Foundation, please visit www.HispanicHeritage.org
The Queens NorthEast Regional Youth Award recipients:
Academic Excellence, for extraordinary academic achievement, presented by the Sprint Foundation:
Jessica Ann Aviles of Bayside, NY - St. Francis Preparatory School- Gold Medallion
Business, for strong business aptitude sponsored by the National Society of Hispanic MBAs:
Alyson Beth Cadena of South Ozone Park, NY- Archbishop Molloy High School- Gold Medallion
Journalism, for creativity and integrity in print, broadcast, or web-based media, sponsored by NBC Universal/Telemundo:
Elizabeth Estrada, of Elmhurst, NY- Middle College High School- Silver Medallion