Colorado State University’s El Centro Presents 18th Annual Achievement Awards Honoring Graduating Seniors

The 18th annual El Centro Achievement Awards will begin at 6 p.m. April 6 in the Main Ballroom of the Lory Student Center on the Colorado State University campus.

This year’s event, called " Embracing and Celebrating Our Stars," will recognize outstanding student graduates.

The program will open 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. Student speakers for the ceremony include Vanessa Segura and Joe Montoya. "This annual celebration allows us to give recognition to outstanding men and women as well as to celebrate those who have gone on to attain exceptional success," said Fort Collins Mayor Ray Martinez. The annual ceremony celebrates the accomplishments of Latino and Chicano community members, faculty, staff and graduating seniors. The program also recognizes recipients of the El Centro Scholarship, the Elizabeth Woodworth Memorial Scholarship, the Johnna and Art Bavoso Scholarship and the BankOne Fort Collins/Loveland Scholarship. The scholarships will be announced at the ceremony.

Twenty 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.

Five scholarships of $1,000 each will be awarded from the El Centro Scholarship Fund; one scholarship of $850 will be awarded from the Johanna and Art Bavoso Fund; and one scholarship 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 in their pursuit of knowledge and has promoted 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 demonstrated exceptional accomplishments.

"The ceremony is very important to our students. Its success is made possible by the unity and collaboration of Colorado State University and the Fort Collins community at large," said Guadalupe Salazar, El Centro director. "I am extremely grateful for the support we continue to receive."

Tickets for the dinner and ceremony are available for $25 per person. Corporate tables are available for $650 and $250 for non-profit organizations.

For more information or to make reservations, contact Shirley Guitron in the El Centro office at (970) 491-1926 or e-mail her at sguitron@lamar.colostate.edu.