Esmeralda Gutierrez, Teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District, is HSF’s 2006 Brillante – for realizing extraordinary achievements early in her career and generating even greater expectations for contributions to come. At the age of 14, Gutierrez was diagnosed with a degenerative hearing disability. She began taking college classes at night in addition to working and attending high school so she could pursue a college degree before her hearing disability worsened. At the age of only 16, Esmeralda was accepted to Loyola Marymount University. After three years, she graduated and by the time she was 20, Gutierrez had a B.A., a teaching credential and the beginning of a career as an elementary school teacher. Gutierrez teaches in the neighborhood where she grew up and feels her most important contribution is sharing her story.

Gabriel Esparza, Director, Marketing and Industry Development at American Express, is HSF’s 2006 Altruista – awarded for personifying the spirit of gratitude and the value of giving back. Esparza was born to a Mexican father and a Jewish mother. He attended a bilingual/bicultural program in elementary school and remembers his parents reading him books in Spanish. Even with those influences, he was surprised to see in the 7th grade the word Hispanic in his file. It sparked a new search for his identity that would mold his life. Esparza earned a B.A. from Stanford University and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. Esparza created professional organizations that give Hispanics a voice in the corporate world. Esparza also helped found the Bronx Charter School for the Arts, where he worked to ensure minority elementary school students get access to an arts education.

José L. S. Gamez, Ph.D., Graduate Coordinator, Assistant Professor at the College of Architecture at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, is HSF’s 2006 Optimista – awarded for success achieved through persistence in the face of adversity. Gamez grew up in Commerce, Texas, the son of a college professor from Spain and a mother from Ecuador. Both parents encouraged Jose to go to college. Gamez remembers experiencing racial tensions in his hometown where he was one of few Hispanics in the area. Jose enjoyed drawing and took drafting classes. He established a national reputation for his designs that are sensitive to Hispanics; he earned his M.A. at UC-Berkeley and Ph.D. at UCLA, both in Architecture. Gamez hopes to change academia so that ideas of tolerance, the value of differences and the preservation of cultural identity can have an open forum.

Alfredo Quiñones-Hinojosa, M.D., Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery and Oncology at Johns Hopkins University and Director of the Brain Tumor Program at Johns Hopkins Bayview Hospital, is HSF’s 2006 Inspirador – awarded for personifying hard work and sacrifice. At age 5, Dr. Quiñones worked in his father’s one pump gas station to help the family survive. At age 18, Dr. Quiñones graduated at the top of his class with a B.A. Speaking little English, he came to the U.S. and worked as a migrant farm worker. Determined to create a better life, he enrolled in a community college then headed to UC-Berkeley, where he mentored other Chicanos. He graduated with Highest Honors with a B.A. in Psychology. He went on to Harvard Medical School where he received the Medical School Multiculturalism Award for his contributions to diversity.

Aida L. Maisonet Giachello, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Jane Addams College of Social Work and Director and Founder of the Midwest Latino Health Research at the University of Illinois – Chicago, is HSF’s 2006 Triunfador – awarded for realizing the ultimate achievement in her profession and for personifying HSF’s value of “raising the bar.” Born in a poor barrio in Puerto Rico, Dr. Giachello said getting an education was not easy. Family and teachers discouraged Dr. Giachello and instead encouraged her to be a wife and mother. Dr. Giachello earned a B.A. in Sociology and Psychology. She earned an M.A. and a Ph. D. at the University of Illinois - Chicago, where she studied health and ethnicity. She founded the Midwest Latino Health Research, Training and Policy Center, where she developed a curriculum that is used by international universities and government agencies. Time Magazine named Dr. Giachello as one of the 25 Most Influential Hispanics in America.

The HSF Alumni Hall of Fame event, now in its fifth year, 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.