2024 IMPACT REPORT
TRANSFORMING LIVES - FULFILLING
Weenvisionaworld whereeducationalequity andopportunityare accessibletoall.
Weempowerlowincome, first-generationstudents ontheirjourneystoand throughcollegesothey canfulfilltheir remarkablepotential.
AMessagefrom
OurFounder&EDandBoardChair
DearLUCAFamilia,Partners,Colleagues,andFriends,
Reflectingonanextraordinary2024,wearefilledwithdeepgratitudeand reneweddetermination.Thispastyearhasbeenatestamenttothepowerof community ofwhatispossiblewhenwecometogetherwithasharedvision andunwaveringbeliefinthepotentialoffirst-generationstudents.The resilienceandambitionofourScholarsandtheirfamiliesinspireusdaily, drivingourmissionforwardwithevengreaterurgency.
Intimesofuncertainty,ourpurposehasneverbeenclearer.Thechallenges facingfirst-generation,low-incomecollegestudentshaveonlyintensified, makingourworknotjustimportant,butessential.Westandfirminour commitmenttoensuringthateveryScholarwhodarestodreambighasthe support,resources,andopportunitiestoachievetheirfullacademicandlife potential.
Highereducationisagatewaytoopportunity,yettoday,itsvalueisbeing questioned.Weknowfirsthandthatacollegedegreeismorethanjusta credential itisapowerfulforceforsocialmobility,economicempowerment, andgenerationalchange.EveryScholarinourprogramisnotjustpursuing theirownsuccess;theyareliftinguptheirfamilies,strengtheningtheir communities,andshapingthefutureofourworkforceandnation.Their journeysofperseverancereminduswhythisworkmattersnowmorethan ever.
WearedeeplygratefulforthededicationofourLUCAcommunity—our passionatevolunteers,partnerschooldistricts,corporateandphilanthropic supporters,andcommitteddonors.Together,wearenotjustopeningdoors; wearebreakingbarriers,expandingpossibilities,andtransforminglives.
OurScholarsarethenextgenerationof doctors,engineers,artists,educators, andleaders.Theybringwiththeman extraordinaryresilience,adaptability, andvisionthatwillshapeindustries, redefineleadership,andinspirechange. Whentheyearntheirbachelor’sdegrees, theydon’tjustentercareers—they becomethearchitectsofabrighter,more equitablefutureforusall. Thankyouforbelievinginthepowerof education.
Thankyouforstandingwithus, championingopportunity,andinvesting inafuturewhereeveryfirst-generation studenthasthechancetorise,thrive, andgiveback.Together,wearecreating alegacyoftransformation oneScholar, onefamily,andonecommunityata time.
Withgratitudeandunwavering commitment,
ABOUTUS
Founded in 2012, Latino U College Access (LUCA) is a social impact organization that transforms lives by making college dreams a reality for first-generation, lowincome youth.
We provide individualized coaching, culturally-relevant programming, peer networking, internships, and career readiness support to Scholars who have demonstrated academic aptitude.
With our guidance, our Scholars gain access to colleges and universities that align with their financial and academic needs, ensuring they graduate on time, careerready, and with minimal to no debt.
LUCA Scholars meet the increasing challenges of a global economy that requires an educated workforce in the U.S.
LUCA Scholar Class of 2024
PROGRAMS
COLLEGEACCESS
Providesintensive,individualizedmentorshipwithhighlytrained volunteerCollegeCoachesto:
AssistScholarsbuildbalancedcollegelists
Provideessaysupport
Completecollegeapplicationsontime
Applyfor/reviewfinancialaidpackages
Selectbestacademicandfinancialfit
COLLEGESUCCESS
Providescomprehensivesupporttoaddresstheuniquechallengesfaced byfirst-genScholarsduringtheircollegeyears: Scholarsremainengagedacademicallyandsocially Regularcheck-insandtargetedsupporttoensureScholarsgraduate ontime
Scholarsreceivetheknowledge,skills,andnetworkingopportunities, settingthemupforsuccess
Community-relevant,bilingualpresentationsandworkshopsinpartner schooldistricts:
SCHOLARMATRICULATION
Adelphi University
Allegheny College
American University
Amherst College
Babson College
Barnard College
Bates College
Bentley University
Boston College
Boston University
Bowdoin College
Brigham Young University
Brown University
Bucknell University
Carnegie Mellon University
Case Western Reserve University
Chapman University
University of Chicago
Clark University
Clarkson University
College of Mount Saint Vincent
Columbia University
Concordia College
University of Connecticut
Cornell University
CUNY Baruch
CUNY The City College
CUNY Hunter
CUNY John Jay
CUNY Lehman
Dartmouth College
University of Delaware
Dickinson College
Eastern Nazarene College
Eastern University
Elmira University
Elon University
Embry Riddle University
Emerson College
Emory University
Fairfield University
Florida Atlantic University
Fordham University
Franklin & Marshall College
Georgetown University
George Washington University
University of Hartford
Hartwick College
Harvard University
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Iona University
Ithaca College
Johns Hopkins University
Johnson & Wales University
Lafayette College
Lehigh University
Manhattan University
Manhattanville University
Marist College
University of Maryland
Marywood University
Mercy University
Middlebury College
Mount Holyoke College
Muhlenberg College
Nazareth College
University of New Haven
New York Institute of Technology
New York University
Northeastern University
Northwestern University
Pace University
Penn State University
University of Pennsylvania
Princeton University
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rice University
University of Richmond
University of Rochester
Rochester Institute of Technology
Sacred Heart University
Saint John's University
Saint Lawrence University
Savannah College of Art & Design
Scranton University
Siena College
Skimore College
Stanford University
SUNY Albany
SUNY Binghamton
SUNY Brockport
SUNY Buffalo
SUNY Buffalo State
SUNY Cortland
SUNY Fashion Institute of Technology
SUNY New Paltz
SUNY Oneonta
SUNY Polytech
SUNY Potsdam
SUNY Purchase
SUNY Stony Brook
SUNY Westchester
Syracuse University
Tufts University
Union College
University of Southern California
Vassar College
Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology
Villanova University
University of Virginia
Wesleyan University
Yale University
IMPACT
PortChesterHighSchool
Enrolledin 4-YearUniversities
Remainon TracktoGraduate
EnrolledinPrivate 4-YearUniversities Attending "MostSelective"or "VerySelective"Schools Received FinancialAssistance Pursuing STEMDegrees
DayanaraN.
LUCAScholar‘24,BinghamtonUniversity‘28
Comingfromparentswhoselabor-intensiveworkprovidedthe familythesecurityandthefoundationtodreambig,Dayanara knewatanearlyagetheimportanceofhighereducation.
Today,DayanaraisafreshmanatBinghamtonUniversity, wheresheispursuingherAmericandreamofbecomingaNurse Practitionertocareforothersandhonorherparents.
Patrickisafirst-yearComputerScienceMaster’sstudentat BrownUniversity,wherehealsocompletedhisundergraduate degree.HewasselectedasanAmazonRoboticsDayOne Fellow,ahighlyselectiveandcompetitiveprogramthat providesscholarshipsupportandguaranteesemployment upongraduation
Whatstartedasanintimidatingjourneyintotheunknown, blossomedintothemostenrichingchapterofJennifer’slife, filledwithmeaningfulconnectionsandpersonalgrowththat sheneversawcoming
LUCAScholarsthriveagainsttheodds,embarkingonnew experiencesthatotherwisewouldnotbeattainable
ShaniaF.
LUCAScholar‘24,CornellUniversity‘28
ShaniabeganherfreshmanyearatCornellUniversity’s CollegeofAgricultureandLifeSciences,majoringin EnvironmentandSustainability.Asarecipientofthe prestigiousKesslerScholarsProgram,shereceivesfour yearsofsupportasafirst-generationcollegestudent, joininganationalnetworkoftopinstitutions.Shewasalso awardedtheCornellTraditionFellowship,recognizingher excellenceinacademics,work,andcommunityservice.
MiryamM.
LUCAScholar‘16,TheCityCollegeof NewYork‘20,
“Beingacceptedintomedicalschoolhasbeenlife-changing,affirming thatallthesacrifices—latenightsstudying,workingmultiplejobs,and navigatingchallengesasafirst-generationcollegestudent—were worthit.Ithasgivenmetheopportunitytoturnmyexperiencesinto action,toadvocateforpatientslikemyfamily,andtobridgethegap betweenmedicineandthecommunitiesthatneeditmost.Rightnow, thejourneyisintenseandhumbling,buteverychallengeremindsme whyIfoughtsohardtobehere.I’mgrateful,determined,andexcited tobecomethekindofphysicianIonceneeded”
AndresQ.
LUCAScholar‘14,PrincetonUniversity‘18
APrincetonUniversitymagnacumlaudegraduate,Andresmade historyastheyoungestandfirstLatinoCouncilMemberintheTown ofBedford,NY.Overcomingbarrierstohighereducation,heremains committedtopublicserviceandwasrecentlyawardedafellowshipto theColumbiaSchoolofInternationalandPublicAffairs(SIPA)to pursueaMaster’sinPublicAdministrationwithafocusonurbanand socialpolicy.Andres’journeyexemplifiesthepowerofperseverance andpurposeincreatingabetterfutureforourcommunities.
S P O T L I G H T S
VOLUNTEERSPOTLIGHT
COLLEGECOACH
Total#ofHours Volunteered
2,593
Asherchildrennavigatedthecollegeapplication process,MariewasdrawntoLUCA’smission, recognizinghowcomplexandexpensivehigher educationcanbeintheU.S.
Since2017,MarieGuarnierihascoached sevenScholars.
ForMarie,coachingisaboutmorethanjustguiding Scholarsthroughapplicationsandessays it’sabout helpingthemseethepossibilitiesaheadandrealize thattheirdreamsarewithinreach.
“Oneofthemostamazingaspectsofthisjourneyis thehumanconnectionwebuild.Webecomeapartof ourscholars’lives,celebratingtheirsuccessesand supportingthemthroughtheirchallenges.”
-MarieGuarnieri CollegeCoach
PARTNERSPOTLIGHT
CAREEREXPLORATIONDAY
LUCAScholarshadauniqueopportunityto gobehindthescenesatBloomberg’s headquartersinNYC.Theeventincluded aFirst-Genpaneldiscussion,careerpaths andopportunitiesinengineering,sales,AI, andnetworking.
“Ifoundthepanelinspiringandinformativeasa newalum.T fromthespeakersputmycurrentpositioninmycareerinperspectiveandreminded meoftheimportanceofbeingconsistentandpersistentinthefaceofadversity.”
-JordanGarcia
LUCAScholar‘20,IthacaCollege‘24
FINANCIALS
NEWSWORTHY
CommunityPartnership
FrancisHesselbeinAward
RecipientoftheMutualofAmericaFoundation CommunityPartnershipFrancisHesselbeinAward, fromapoolof801applicants.LUCAwasselectedfor “helpingtomoveournationforwardbybuilding healthier,moreequitablecommunities,” demonstrating“impact,replication,andinnovation.”
HiddenPurposeofPower
AARP’sdocumentaryfeaturingLUCA’sfounderand ExecutiveDirectorShirleyAcevedoBuontempo amongthreeotheroutstandingindividualsfortheir inspiredstoryoffindingpurposeintheirlives.
ThisdocumentaryisfeaturedattheJacobBurns FilmCenterTheatreinPleasantville,NY.
Honoredforhervisionaryapproachtotransform LUCAintoanationallyrecognizedorganization, ShirleyAceveddoBuontemporeceivedthe IndividualChangemakerAwardatthe2024Keep WestchesterThrivingAwards
LEADERSHIP
BOARDOFDIRECTORS
ShirleyAcevedoBuontempo,MPA, Founder&ExecutiveDirector,LatinoUCollegeAccess
LisaM.Bell,Treasurer,USBank
PatriciaBogoya-Bravo,PepsiCo
ShawnEdwards,Secretary,Bloomberg
MarkEllman,CapitolGroupLLC
ChristineLouvet,Chairperson,LouvetConsulting
MiguelM.Mendez,MorganStanley
RafaelPalomino,ExecutiveChef/Proprietor
RafaelPeréz,PractisingLawInstitute
AldoPolak,FarlieTurnerGilbert&Co.
ClaraRomán,HoulihanLawrence
JonathanSchwartz,TheBrookingsInstitutionGeneral
ScottSilverstein,Mojo
RodrigoTrellesZabala,UBSO’Connor
DaliaValdés,JuliaB.FeeSotheby’sInternationalRealty
TamaraVasquez,datAInclusionLLC
RodrigoTrellesZabala,UBSO’Connor
OURTEAM
ShirleyAcevedoBuontempo,MPA –Founder&ExecutiveDir
JailineBatista– CollegeAccessManager
GraceBattaglia–SeniorManager,Development&Communic
DianaBarrera–DirectorofIntegratedOperationsandHR
KaylinCampos–VirtualCollegeCoachManager
HaydeeDavila–AssociateDirectorofPrograms
JulieDelValleNunn–SeniorOperationsManager
SelenaDrinks–CollegeAccessManager
DebraHand–VirtualCollegeCoachAdvisor
CathyMaroney–SeniorManager,Partnerships&VolunteerE
JenniferPolanco-Calderon–DirectorofPrograms
StephaniePalacios–FinancialAidAdvisor
DorisTenesaca–CommunicationsSpecialist
LauraValencia–CollegeSuccessManager
THANK YOU TOOURDONORS
AdamStoltman
AiLunKu
AldoPolakandAnaBluth
AlejoMujicaandBetinaKleiss
AlexSerebransky
AlexaBicknese
AliceKaplan
AnaMuralles
AndreaBeltranRuggieroandChrisRuggiero
AndrewEitingonandGabriellaRiveraEitingon
AnneandPierredeVillemejane
AnthonyandHopeJustic AntoniaBowring
ArielEcksteinandKerriOlson
ArnoldandJaneAdlin
ArthurShorin
BeckySilverstein
CamilleCunninghamandEdwardLevin
CarlosandLisaAlmodovar
CarolArgento
CarolPouchieandMichaelGraham
CarolineKaplan
CassandraBuontempo
ChristianMairena
ChristineandPatriceLouvet
ChristopherandYenileyWinfrey
Claire-Marie&ScottPedersen
ClaraandAntonioRoman
CynthiaRiveraWeissblumandLarryWeissblum
DaliaValdés
DanaLevenbergandStephenHersh
DanielAltman
DavidEbert
DeborahFlood
DebraandBrianHand
DeirdreandLarryCohen
DianaBarrera
DianeandChesterWrobleski
DiedraTidwell
EdwardBrown
ElizabethBell
ElizabethBracken-Thompson
ElizabethRay
EllenandMitchRothschild
EmmanueleVinciguerra
FrederickaButler
GhadaJabbour
GiselleHantz
GregoryNunnandJulieDelValleNunn
HugoFaria
IngridandStephenDyott
IsabelKaplan
JackandJoanneOttomanelli
JaneandRobertMatluck
JaneandRobertShepardson
JeffreyandWendyCobelli
JenniferDonlan
JenniferNicoletti
JenniferStredler
JirandyMartinez
JodyKasten
JoeMcCoy
JohnFingerandElenaHerrera
JonandNancyBauer
JonathanandLisaSchwartz
JonathanKlein
JosephandEilishHourihan
JosephBarbozaandNancyandAlexRodriguez
JosephDelToro,LiaMehosandLenaDelToro
JoshuaandCindyMercado
JosueZamoraTercero
JoyCianci
JudithZarate
JuliaMcCartney
JulieandAndrewPeskoe
JulioandHeidiPortalatin
KamileandIsraelContreras
KarenandPeterHerrero
KatonahPresbyterianChurch
KenFuirstandSueGreeneFuirst
KennethandDonnaRay
KevanSlattery
KristinaGeorges
LaurenandLeonardStern
LindaandPeterZeltner
LisaandBarryBell
LisaandEtienneBoillot
LisetteNievesandGregGunn
LouisandMyriamDupéré
LydiaandGaryKris
MarcGoldandAlisonPaul
MariaNunes
MariaVenegas
MarieandRobertGuarnieri
MarjorieVanmeenen
Mark&GloriaBieler
MarkEllman
MarshaandEliGordon
MarthaLopez
MaryEllenandJosephGiordano
MatiasBercun
MelissaandHaroldTorres
MichaelandSherryTopel
MichaelLawler
MichaeleneandJonathanDurst
MiguelandYahairaMendez
NancyTellet
NathalieVanheusdenandFrancoisDechery NikhilJagga
PatriciaBogoya-BravoandEduardoBravo
PaulandJoyceRheingold
RafaelandMarthaPalomino
RafaelandNicolePerez
RandyMoore
RaniaandGeorgeSaghir
RaymundoMendozaLanda
RichardandCarolEpp
RichardRivera
RitaMitjans
ourgeneroussupporters.
IndividualsCont’d
RobbGarceau
RobertoYañez
Robin&AndrewKorman
RodrigoTrellesZabalaandElviraMedus
RosanneandPeterAresty
SamanthaCepin
ScottSilverstein
ShawnEdwardsandPaulinaRibadeneyra
ShirleyandAnthonyBuontempo
SilchenLee
StacyandRobertMitgang
StephanieBell-Blombach
StephanieMantoux
StephenMcDermott
SusanandHowardCode
SusanResnick
TamaraVasquez
TatianaDelille
ToddHayes
TrinaRemy
VicenteDeLaCruz
VictoriaEdwardsandZacharySchechtman
VictoriaHerman
XimenaCamus
Corporate
AARPInc.
AdobeInc.
AMCNetworks
AmericanExpress
ArcWestchesterFoundation
Bloomberg Cowen
DanoneNorthAmerica
Danziger&MarkhoffLLP
EdwinGouldFoundation
EventstoRemember
KeatingElectric
MizuhoSecuritiesUSALLC
MorganStanley
MutualofAmericaFoundation
NBCUniversalLocal/TelemundoLocal
OLAConsultingEngineers,P.C.
PepsiCo
PKFO'ConnorDavies,LLP
S&PGlobal
SculptorCapitalManagement
TDBankGroup
ValleyNationalBank
WorkspaceConsultingGroup
Foundations&Government
AnnunziatoFamilyFoundation
Croton-HarmonUFSD
JackDeVitoFoundationInc.
Kids'ClubofTarrytown&SleepyHollow
LevittFoundation
ManhattanvilleUniversity
NicholasB.OttawayFoundation
NMMorrisFamilyFoundation,Inc.
RoselleCatholicHighSchool
St.Faith'sHouseFoundation
StateofNewYork
SUNYImpactFoundation
TheKeithHaringFoundation
UnitedWayofWestchester&Putnam
WestchesterCountyBoardofLegislators
WestchesterCountyYouthBureau
