Dr. Richard Carmona. For success achieved through persistence in the face of adversity. With his appointment as the U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Richard Carmona has become the country’s leader on matters of public health. Born to Puerto Rican parents in New York’s Spanish Harlem, Carmona was a high school dropout and street gang member before enlisting in the Army at age 17. After earning two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star, he became a doctor. He attended medical school at the University of California, San Francisco. After completing his studies, Carmona later moved to Tucson, Ariz., where he became a trauma surgeon and clinical professor, as well as gained fame as a deputy on the Pima County Sheriff's Department SWAT team. Carmona's focus as Surgeon General is to encourage Americans to lose weight, exercise, eat healthily and stop smoking.

Rodolpho Carrasco. For personifying the spirit of gratitude and the value of giving back. Rodolpho “Rudy” Carrasco is associate director of Harambee Christian Family Center in Pasadena, Calif. A graduate of Stanford University with a bachelor of arts in English, Carrasco has served as managing editor of Urban Family, a national, quarterly magazine that targeted solutions to urban problems. He currently writes a regular column for the San Gabriel Valley Newspaper Group, which publishes the Pasadena Star News, Whittier Daily News and San Gabriel Valley Tribune newspapers. A lifelong resident of Los Angeles County, Carrasco was born in East Los Angeles and lived in Norwalk, Eagle Rock and Burbank, Calif., prior to settling in Pasadena with his wife, Kafi, a local school teacher. In 1996, Carrasco was selected as one of “50 Leaders Under 40 to Watch” by Christianity Today magazine. Today he serves as an associate pastor at Northwest Fellowship Church in Pasadena.

Lisa Quiroz. For realizing the ultimate professional achievement and for raising the bar.Lisa Quiroz is the founding publisher of People en Español, the best-selling Hispanic magazine in the United States. Quiroz, of Puerto Rican and Mexican decent, was born and raised in New York City, and received both her undergraduate degree and MBA from Harvard University. As an advocate for education and the professional advancement of minorities, Quiroz serves on the board of directors of the Harvard Alumni Committee, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund Institute and the Hispanic Federation of New York. A distinguished leader in her field, Quiroz has received several awards and honors, including being named one of Advertising Age’s “25 Women to Watch,” in 1998 for her pioneering efforts in the U.S. Hispanic print market. Quiroz also was named one of the “100 Most Influential Hispanics” by Hispanic Business and received the Woman of Distinction Award from the Girl Scouts Council of Greater New York in 1999. Most recently, she was named “Hispanic Business Leader of the Year” by the Committee for Hispanic Children and Families in 2001.

Elias Fernandez. For personifying the hard work and sacrifice made by Latino families in pursuit of a college education. Elias Fernandez is one of today’s most celebrated winemakers in Napa Valley, Calif., crafting world-class wines for Shafer Vineyards, a small production facility with a big reputation. Wines from this small estate appear in top hotels and restaurants across the United States, Europe and Asia. In 2002, Fernandez was named “Winemaker of the Year,” not only by the Quarterly Review of Wines, but also by Food and Wine magazine. These are honors not lost on a small town boy born in Stockton, Calif., to farm laborer parents. After briefly attending the University of Nevada at Reno courtesy of a Fulbright Scholarship through the Jazz Program, Fernandez found his calling in the wine industry, and in 1981, enrolled full time at the University of California at Davis to study enology, the science of winemaking. Three weeks prior to graduation he was hired as assistant winemaker at Shafer Vineyards and by 1994 was named head winemaker.

Fortunato Tapia. For personifying limitless potential. Born and raised in South Central Los Angeles, Fortunato Tapia is the first in his family to attend college. As the son of immigrant parents, Tapia pursued his dream of a higher education by attending Woodbury University in Burbank, Calif., graduating with a bachelor of science degree in International Business and Marketing. After working with California Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante as a special assistant for outreach activities, Tapia joined the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) as the Community Outreach Organizer, recognizing the opportunity to make a real difference in the city where he grew up and loves. Tapia understands the challenges that LAUSD faces and is determined to be part of a solution.

The HSF Alumni Hall of Fame event celebrates the incredible stories of five Hispanics who, through their accomplishments, contributions and lifetime challenges, demonstrate the power of higher education and mentorship to change a life and positively impact the world. Each honoree’s story illustrates the possibilities offered by higher education and personifies the mission and values of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund.