Colorado State’s El Centro Celebrates 16th Annual Achievement Awards Honoring Outstanding Graduating Seniors

The 16th annual El Centro Achievement Awards will begin at 6 p.m. on Friday, April 16 in the Main Ballroom of the Lory Student Center on the Colorado State University campus.

This year’s event will begin with a reception at 6 p.m., followed by a banquet at 7 p.m. Music during the dinner will be provided by Mariachi Vasquez and Cory Allen, Mariachi de Pueblo.

This annual ceremony celebrates the accomplishments of Hispanic community members, graduating seniors and recipients of the Elizabeth Woodworth Memorial Scholarship, the Johnna and Art Bavosa Scholarship and the BankOne Fort Collins/Loveland Scholarship. Scholarship awards will be announced throughout the program.

Twelve scholarships of $1,200 each will be awarded to students in honor of the late Elizabeth Woodworth, a longtime editor of the Fort Collins Coloradoan newspaper and civic leader. Additionally, five scholarships in the amount of $1,000 each will be awarded from the El Centro Scholarship Fund; one scholarship in the amount of $500 will be awarded from the Johnna and Art Bavosa Fund and one scholarship in the amount of $1,000 will be awarded from the BankOne Fort Collins/Loveland Scholarship Fund.

For more than 20 years, El Centro has been assisting Colorado State students and promoting education about the history and culture of Chicanos and Latinos. The El Centro Achievement Award Ceremony was established in 1983 to recognize and honor students who have demonstrated outstanding accomplishments. Although some changes have occurred over the years, recognition of graduating seniors remains the chief priority for El Centro.

"These scholarships are vitally important to our students. Being able to ease the financial struggle a little may allow them to focus more on their educational goals," says Guadalupe Salazar, director of El Centro Student Services. "We are here to help students succeed and graduate from Colorado State University, and raising money for these scholarships is just one way to do that."

Tickets for the dinner and the ceremony are available at $25 per person; however, El Centro is inviting individuals to purchase tickets for $50 to help raise funds for scholarships. The donation can qualify as a tax-deductible contribution. Corporate tables of ten are available for $500, and $300 for non-profit organizations.

For more information, or to make reservations, contact Dorothy Ramirez at the El Centro offices at (970) 491-5722.