Young, dapperly dressed Latin Americans -- and those who support their college education -- gathered in the Grand Hall of the Clinton Center the night of Sept. 30 for the 2016 League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Council 750 Little Rock Scholarship Banquet.
Baker Kurrus, lawyer and former superintendent of the Little Rock School District, was the featured speaker, and LULAC 750's Person of the Year. The President's Award went to Robin Bowen, president at Arkansas Tech University; the Distinguished Diversity Outreach Award was given to the University of Central Arkansas; and the La Esperanza (Hope) Award went to the Working Together in the Community organization.
Proceeds from the annual banquet and the Cinco de Mayo Festival fund scholarships to Hispanic college students. The money also finances citizenship and voter registration drives, as well as youth leadership training programs. There are seven LULAC councils chartered in Arkansas.
LULAC Council 750 scholarships went to 46 students across the state, with several central Arkansas colleges and universities matching the stipends and/or offering full scholarships to students who passed the rigorous LULAC selection process. More than half the students receiving scholarships attend the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
These students take civic and public service and community involvement seriously. Two young gentlemen from Conway -- Javier Hernandez and Paul Torres -- are in the process of starting the first Latino-based men's fraternity at UCA.
Over the past 17 or so years, the nonprofit LULAC Council 750 has awarded upward of $700,000 in college scholarships to 400 students.
High Profile on 10/09/2016