Longmont Latinx Voices awards scholarships to 10 SVVSD seniors
Local nonprofit Longmont Latinx Voices is supporting 10 high school seniors with scholarships as they pursue their college dreams.
Giovanni Montez Chavez. (Courtesy photo)
The Longmont nonprofit awards scholarships annually to St. Vrain Valley School District seniors, who were presented with their scholarships earlier this month. The Latino and Latina students each received $1,000, which they can put toward their higher education plans.
This year's recipients are Diego Doton, Giovanni Montez Chavez, Justice Montoya, Edgar Nevarez Pena, Litzy Ortiz and Gisselle Sales Rodriguez of Skyline High School; Maria Arrece Garcia and Mahuiztli Martinez of Niwot High School; Emanuel Palacios of Longmont High School; and Alexander Westbrooke of Frederick High School.
A few of the scholarship winners are going to the University of Colorado Boulder. Sales Rodriguez plans to study psychology at the university.
Before heading to CU Boulder, Sales Rodriguez was recognized by a different higher education institution. She received her business certification from Front Range Community College last week through a dual enrollment program at Skyline.
Sales Rodriguez will be the first person in her family to go to a four-year college. She said the scholarship will be a 'really big help' with her college expenses.
'College isn't going to cover itself,' she said. 'Even just a little help goes a really long way, and I'm really thankful for that.'
Fellow Skyline student Edgar Nevarez Pena plans to study aerospace engineering at CU Boulder. Since he likes planes and working with his hands, he thinks the major will be a good fit for him.
Maria Arrece Garcia is heading to Vanderbilt University, where she wants to study mechanical engineering. As a Niwot High student, she participated in the robotics program and the student council.
Arrece Garcia's mom is Mexican and her dad is Peruvian. She said she's thankful that local students and their families are supported by Longmont Latinx Voices, and hopes that her scholarship will inspire her younger sister to pursue college.
Justice Montoya. (Courtesy photo)
'Applying for this scholarship seemed perfect, because culture is really important to me,' Arrece Garcia said. 'I really love Longmont, and being able to get a scholarship from such a vibrant community is obviously a really great thing.'
Litzy Ortiz wants to study data analytics at the Leeds School of Business at CU Boulder. She said the scholarship will ease the financial burden on her and her parents.
'It helps me not feel overwhelmed,' Ortiz said.
Each Longmont Latinx Voices scholarship is named in honor of a community member. Ortiz's scholarship honored Linda Marquez, who was a Longmont resident and activist.
'I thought that was really nice, on their part, to have someone to honor,' Ortiz said.
Most SVVSD schools will host their commencement ceremonies on Saturday.
Alexander Westbrooke. (Courtesy photo)
Emanuel Palacios. (Courtesy photo)
Mahuiztli Martinez. (Courtesy photo)
Maria Arrece Garcia. (Courtesy photo)
Gisselle Sales Rodriguez. (Courtesy photo)
Edgar Nevarez Pena. (Courtesy photo)
Litzy Ortiz. (Courtesy photo)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Metal manufacturer to lay off nearly 150 in Lakeville, Shakopee, Plymouth
A Plymouth-based sheet metal fabricator and manufacturer of precision metal components will close all of its Minnesota facilities, including its Lakeville, Plymouth and Shakopee locations, laying off nearly 150 workers following failed efforts to put itself up for sale. J&E Companies will lay off 45 employees from its Lakeville site alone, including welders, machine operators, process engineers, plant managers, drivers and other job classifications. A letter to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, dated June 2, indicated that the layoffs will take effect that same day 'due to financial difficulties and circumstances,' and that 'a potential sale of the business' had fallen through. The workers are non-unionized and do not have bumping rights, according to the company's letter, which is signed by a corporate adviser from Harney Partners. J&E Companies was founded more than 65 years ago and provided precision machining and fabrication services to the medical, aerospace, commercial and agricultural industries, according to its website. In 2022, it acquired R&B, a Wisconsin-based precision machining company with more than 100 employees. In all, the merged companies maintained six sites in Minnesota, Racine, Wis. and Reynosa, Mexico, with a combined total of 325 employees. A call to a company spokesperson was not immediately returned on Wednesday. Whitebridge Capital Partners announced Wednesday it is acquiring the major assets of R&B Grinding of Racine, which will be renamed RB Industrial Manufacturing LLC, 'in recognition of the full range of machining processes the company can provide from its 140,000 square foot facility,' reads a statement from Whitebridge, which specializes in distressed manufacturing companies. 'We're not involved in the Minnesota operations at all,' said Todd DiBenedetto, principal with Whitebridge Capital Partners, in a brief phone interview on Wednesday. He said the Mexican plant was still in operation, and 'we are looking at it. We may get involved with it in the future, but right this second, we're not.' Feds: Minneapolis, Dakota County search warrants stemmed from 900 lbs of meth found in Burnsville storage unit Eagan city administrator withdraws resignation, passes up ICMA role Community memorial set for William 'Ike' Eickholt, found dead last winter MN Legislature: Measure to divert transportation funds from counties dropped Charges filed in drive-by shooting outside Burnsville High School graduation
Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Greene County growing diversity with Multicultural Family Resource Center
JEFFERSON, Iowa – For the past decade, there's been an ongoing effort to bring more diversity to Greene County to fill jobs and grow the population in rural Iowa. 'Greene County has shrunk in population for 100 years, like most every rural county has,' Sid Jones, former president of the Greene County Development Corporation, said. 'Can we really reverse that? Can we do something different? And what initiative is that going to take? How much courage is that going to take? A lot.' Greene County's population includes about 8,700 people. Jefferson, the county seat, makes up almost half of that. It's also home to a new center and advocate who's on a mission to grow the number with minorities. Sara Huddleston is the director of the Multicultural Family Resource Center. 'I'm focused on bringing people in our community,' Huddleston said. 'And I see with that challenges, but I like challenges.' More: Live on Location in Jefferson She's been in the role for one year and is in charge of welcoming people to work and live in Greene County. An effort that's been years in the making, according to Jones. 'Around 2015, as a development corporation, we realized we'd done a pretty good job with creating jobs, creating tax base and industry,' Jones reflected. 'What we found out was we had more jobs than we had people.' Jones said GCDC put together a group called Vision 2020. People 40 years of age and younger participated. 'And they wanted a say. They wanted to decide what this community would look like,' Jones said. 'And what our question to them was, 'what's it going to take to have more of you here?'' Community members answered with five initiatives to focus on: schools, childcare, housing, recreation, and a high-end bar and restaurant. In addition to working on those, leaders decided the solution to filling jobs and increasing population was to bring in more diversity. 'If they think back far enough, our ancestors came from all over the world to rural Iowa and to Greene County and we've done this before,' Jones said. 'We did it before. It's just a different culture. It's a different set of cultures. We're in a different world that moves so much faster, but at the same time, it took a lot of courage for those people to come here and to start a life and to have the opportunities and to grow their businesses and grow their farms and all the things that have happened. We're back in that same spot again. And we need people, and we need young families.' It's why they created the Multicultural Family Resource Center, with the financial help from a USDA grant and local investors. Woodworking meets Broadway in small town Iowa 'We were primarily at that point focusing really on that Latino culture, but we've since realized it's multicultural,' Jones said. 'It's not just the Latino culture. There's Asians, there's South Africans, there's a variety of people that want to live someplace different than where they live today and want a different opportunity in life.' Huddleston came from the culturally rich community of Storm Lake and has experience in social services. She stays busy in her new role. 'I get calls from the police – Jefferson Police, from the sheriff. I go to the hospital for taking people to medical appointments, interpret,' Huddleston said. 'I still got to do a lot of outreach and connection with manufacturing. I have plans to outreach with Iowa Central Community College and the career academy we have in town. So yes, I don't sit down.' Huddleston also works closely with the school system to help students adapt. Recent numbers from the local Area Education Agency show that of the 1,240 enrolled students at Greene County Community School District, 177 of them are non-Caucasian, meaning 14 percent minority enrollment. 'The numbers tell you,' Jones said. 'And the greatest opportunity is to bring those populations here to try to fill this workforce, grow our population again, fill those schools with students. They need housing, they need a lot of things. But opportunity is challenging and it's growth.' Growth in the student body reflects what's happening in Greene County. Progress that takes time. 'The one most important ingredient to be successful in our community is to build the trust,' Huddleston said. 'If you don't have the trust, nothing will move the needle but once you have the trust and the relationships and the network, everything can happen.' Jones also adds in communication. 'I think Greene County has been unique in our ability to collaborate and bring our city and our county and our investors together. And that's hard work,' Jones said. 'But I think when you have that trust and you have communication and you have investment, collaboration is the result. And I think if you continue to do that there will be success. It will happen you just have to have patience and persistence, and those things come together.' The Greene County Development Corporation is looking ahead to the future with new leadership. The executive committee voted unanimously to name Michelle Book as its interim director. Book stepped down as Food Bank of Iowa CEO at the end of 2024. She is a 1979 graduate of Jefferson High School, as well as this year's WHO 13 News Remarkable Woman winner. If you'd like to learn more about the Multicultural Family Resource Center, click here. Iowa HHS confirms third case of measles in 2025 Greene County growing diversity with Multicultural Family Resource Center Another grooming arrest for Indianola man who had EMT license suspended Hot today with slight storm chances ahead Iowa Senator Zach Wahls running for Joni Ernst's U.S. Senate seat Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Business Journals
an hour ago
- Business Journals
Paititi Peruvian Bistro replacing Hoptology in Midtown
Peruvian cuisine will be the focus of a new restaurant and bar in the works for a vacant space on J Street in Midtown.
