USC LAA 47th Scholarship Gala Program

SATURDAY, MARCH 12, 2022 INTERCONTINENTAL LOS ANGELES DOWNTOWN

A LEGACY OF THE USC MEXICAN AMERICAN ALUMNI ASSOCIATION SINCE 1973

THE USC LATINO ALUMNI ASSOCIATION PROUDLY PRESENTS THE

2022 USC LAA CORPORATE LEADERSHIP AWARD HONOREE

UNION BANK 2022 USC LAA LEGACY AWARD HONOREE

LAURA PERALTA, M.P.A. ’10 Vice President, Community and Business Development JPMorgan Chase & Co.

DR. JOHN R. HUBBARD AWARD HONOREES

ALEJANDRA BARRETO MARIA JOSE GONZALEZ ANAYA MARIO JOSEPH PINTO MISTRESS OF CEREMONIES

CHRISTINA GONZALEZ, ED.D. ’19 Gala Chair & Member of the Corporate Advisory Council USC Latino Alumni Association

The USC Latino Alumni Association is the oldest and largest Latino alumni associations in the county, with a $12.9 million (market value) endowment. Over the past 46 years, the USC Latino Alumni Association has awarded more than $21 million and provided more than 9,100 scholarships to USC students.

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WELCOME Dear Trojan Family and Friends, The Board of Directors and the Corporate Advisory Council welcome you to the 47th USC Latino Alumni Association’s (LAA) Scholarship Gala!

In 1973, the LAA, formerly known as the Mexican American Alumni Association, was founded by Raúl Vargas and eight amazing trailblazing alums. The goal was to promote the academic success of Latinos at USC. Since then, the LAA has awarded thousands of scholarships to outstanding USC students. In almost five decades, the support of people like you have made it possible to award more than $21.5 million in funds to more than 9,100 USC students, including myself.

Ismael Bautista, Jr. ’03

This noble achievement would not have been possible without the full support of the USC alumni family, our Trojan friends, and corporate benefactors. I would like to thank our presenting sponsors Entravision and KXLA Television-44 and all of you for the continued support.

Today, thanks to the inspirational leadership of Mercy Willard, Executive Director, and Dolores Sotelo, Associate Director, combined with the involvement of USC scholars and alumni, the LAA also supports USC students in leadership development, mentorship, service opportunities, and networking.

Tonight, we recognize and pay tribute to Laura Peralta, M.P.A. ’10, with the 2022 Legacy Award. Laura embodies the Trojan Spirit through her many years of service to USC in multiple roles, her personal and professional feats, and her unwavering support toward the Latino Community. Congratulations, Laura! We also acknowledge Union Bank as the 2022 Corporate Leadership Award Honoree. Union Bank has been a powerful advocate of the LAA and its scholars through its corporate philanthropy and direct involvement.

I want to thank Union Bank’s very own, Julius Robinson, Managing Director, Corporate Social Responsibility for the Americas, for his multiple years of involvement as member of the LAA’s Corporate Advisory Council. I also congratulate the Dr. John Hubbard Award finalists!

I want to thank Dr. Christina M. Gonzalez ’19, Gala Chair, Maria Jones-Sechrest ’87, Hubbard Award Committee Chair, and the LAA team for organizing an unforgettable celebration that will inspire us all tonight.

Enjoy the evening and Fight On Forever!

Ismael Bautista, Jr. ’03 Chair, Board of Directors USC Latino Alumni Association

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WELCOME FROM THE GALA CHAIR Dear Friends, It is an honor to welcome you to the 47th USC Latino Alumni Association (LAA) Scholarship Gala. We are truly humbled to have the chance to celebrate more than four decades of astonishing success with all of you this evening.

On behalf of the Gala Committee, we are incredibly grateful to each of you for your continued support of our most momentous event of the year. Your generosity, year after year, makes it possible for the LAA to advance its life-changing mission of providing scholarships, mentoring opportunities and career planning to prepare Latino students to make vital contributions to our nation and the world.

Christina Maria Gonzalez, Ed.D. ’19

As we come together tonight, we salute and acknowledge our outstanding USC Latino student scholars. They are the future, and the future is bright! In addition, I would also like to extend a personal commendation to the exemplary student honorees of the Dr. John R. Hubbard Award.

This evening is truly special as we also honor Laura Peralta, M.P.A. ’10 for her incredible commitment, dedication to philanthropy, and significant contributions to USC and our community.

We also have the privilege of recognizing Union Bank with the Corporate Leadership Award. Union Bank has been a longstanding corporate advocate and an instrumental partner in helping the LAA fulfill its purpose. Along with each and every sponsor of tonight’s festivities, their gifts empower the LAA to maintain its legacy of unconditionally supporting Latino students as they fulfill their educational dreams at USC. Finally, I wish to extend my deepest gratitude to the Gala Committee, the LAA staff and our student volunteers for their tireless work to create a truly memorable evening for us all. ¡Muchisimas gracias!

Sincerely yours, Christina Maria Gonzalez, Ed.D. ’19 Gala Chair & Member of the Corporate Advisory Board USC Latino Alumni Association

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PROGRAM

SPECIAL PERFORMANCE

USC TROJAN MARCHING BAND MARIACHI DE USC INVOCATION

FATHER RICHARD SUNWOO Our Savior Parish USC Caruso Catholic Center

WELCOME

MERCY WILLARD, ED.D. ’21 Executive Director USC Latino Alumni Association

PATRICK AUERBACH, ED.D. ’08 Associate Senior Vice President for Alumni Relations USC Alumni Association

MISTRESS OF CEREMONIES

CHRISTINA GONZALEZ, ED.D. ’19 Gala Chair & Corporate Advisory Council Member USC Latino Alumni Association

2022 USC LAA CORPORATE LEADERSHIP AWARD PRESENTER

YASMIN DAVIDDS ’95, PSY.D., M.C.C. Board Member USC Latino Alumni Association

2022 USC LAA CORPORATE LEADERSHIP AWARD HONOREE

UNION BANK

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PROGRAM

DINNER

SPECIAL PERFORMANCE

MARIAH AIDE QUINTERO USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences USC Latino Alumni Association Scholar

2022 USC LAA LEGACY AWARD PRESENTER

ISMAEL BAUTISTA, JR. ’03 Chair Board of Directors USC Latino Alumni Association

2022 USC LAA LEGACY AWARD HONOREE

LAURA PERALTA, M.P.A. ’10 Vice President, Community and Business Development JPMorgan Chase & Co.

DR. JOHN R. HUBBARD AWARD PRESENTER

MARIA JONES-SECHREST ’87 Dr. John R. Hubbard Committee Chair USC Latino Alumni Association

DANCING IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING

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USC LATINO ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

2022 CORPORATE LEADERSHIP AWARD HONOREE

In recognition of their longstanding partnership, employee volunteerism, and serving as corporate advocate to secure funds that enable the USC LAA to fulfill its mission.

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USC LATINO ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

2022 LEGACY AWARD HONOREE

LAURA PERALTA, M.P.A. ’10 Vice President, Community and Business Development JPMorgan Chase & Co. Laura joined JPMorgan Chase as Vice President of Community and Business Development in 2021. Prior to joining the Chase family, Laura worked as Vice President of Community Development at Citibank, where she managed public-private partnerships and funded nonprofit organizations that serve low-income communities to help close the racial wealth gap. Laura has an extensive background in government relations through her work as Policy Deputy at the Los Angeles City Council, Program Manager for Diversity Initiatives at the U.S. Department of Labor in Washington, D.C. where she served as a political appointee for President Barack Obama, and as Director of Local Government Relations at California Grocers Association. Laura holds a Master of Public Administration degree from the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Sociology from the University of California, Irvine. Laura is the immediate past Board Chair of the USC Price Alumni Association, currently serves on the USC Alumni Association - Los Angeles Regional Advisory Group, and she enjoys mentoring Price students and alumni. Laura is from Argentina, so she naturally loves steak, red wine and futbol.

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DR. JOHN R. HUBBARD AWARD FINALIST

ALEJANDRA BARRETO Bachelor of Science in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Minor in Spanish Master of Public Health Alejandra Barreto is a first-generation, pre-medical student from Lynwood, California.

She is a USC Mork Scholar (10 selected), Gates Scholar (300 selected nationwide), LeaderShape participant which is a national institute to transform the leadership capacity, and head student researcher for USC’s Office for Health Promotion. Through her research, she strives to improve USC students’ well-being by investigating and developing strategies to promote a sense of belonging, equity in and out of the classroom, decrease substance abuse, and promote healthy relationships.

As a daughter of Mexican immigrants and witnessing firsthand the challenges faced due to lack of insurance and language/cultural barriers to healthcare, she cares deeply about underserved communities. She is the co-president of Flying Samaritans and director of outreach of Mobile Clinic, where she focuses on bringing access to health care to the community of Tijuana, Mexico, and LA’s homeless community through organizing free clinics.

One of her motivations is to improve the navigation of resources among high school students. As co-president of Scholars Leading Scholars, she has created partnerships with neighboring high schools to provide mentorship for 80+ high-school students yearly and help them apply to jobs, internships, and college.

In addition to her involvement at USC, Ms. Barreto is a student researcher for the University of Pennsylvania’s Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics where she investigates how immigration status and policy affects Hispanic women’s perinatal and infant health outcomes.

Alejandra will be applying to medical school this summer in pursuit of her aspirations of becoming a physician who advocates for accessible and equitable health care for underserved communities.

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DR. JOHN R. HUBBARD AWARD FINALIST

MARIA JOSE GONZALEZ ANAYA Bachelor of Arts in Psychology Bachelor of Arts in American Studies and Ethnicity - Chicano/Latino Studies Maria Jose Gonzalez Anaya was born and raised in Sonora, Mexico. She immigrated to Salinas, California at the age of 15. She is a first-generation student, a Norman Topping Scholar, as well as a Renaissance Scholar pursuing a double major in Psychology and Chicano/Latino Studies. Over the past three years, Gonzalez Anaya has been involved in undergraduate research at the USC Brain and Creativity Institute. She has been involved in research programs such as the Research Gateway Program and is a three-time recipient of the USC’s Provost Research Fellowship.

In addition to her academic involvement, Gonzalez Anaya spent the lockdown period working at the Monterey County Health Department as part of the COVID-19 response team. There, she manages assistance programs, outreach efforts, and serves on the COVID-19 hotline. She simultaneously conducted a research project with MILPA, a nonprofit organization, where she is exploring the role of culturally informed, healingoriented, community-based programming on identity development within minoritized, Latine youth.

In her free time, Gonzalez Anaya is a regular volunteer at local food banks, USC’s volunteering events, and is an avid Latin Dancer. She has been part of the Break On 2 Latin Fusion team for two years, where she has had the opportunity to embrace Latin American cultures through music and dance with USC’s dancing community.

Gonzalez Anaya is passionate about public and mental health. She seeks to pursue graduate studies in Clinical Psychology and continue her research to understand the extent to which systemic forces, intergenerational trauma, and historically rooted stereotypes affect the psychosocial development and mental health of Latin American folks. Using her experiences in these fields, along with her background, her goal is to promote well-being and collective healing through research and the development of culturally conscious programming and clinical practice.

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DR. JOHN R. HUBBARD AWARD FINALIST

MARIO JOSEPH PINTO Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering with a Specialization in Design Minor in Musical Theatre Mario Pinto is originally from Brooklyn, New York. He is the recipient of several scholarships including the USC Latino Alumni Association, USC Renaissance, USC Stillman, and the New York City Mentoring Program in partnership with the Interpublic Group Scholarship Award. Pinto has also received the USC Jackling Engineering Award. During his college experience, Pinto’s research has focused on astronautical engineering/space industry.

He is an active member of the USC Rocket Propulsion Laboratory (RPL), which is at the cutting edge of rocket technology and launches student-made rockets into space.

There, Pinto worked on Traveler IV, which reached an altitude of over 300,000 feet in April 2019 and had a 90% confidence of passing the Kármán Line, making it the first entirely student-designed and fabricated rocket to reach space. Currently, he is leading three projects including the Thermocouple R&D, Elastic Modulus of Propellant R&D, and Domepiercer Thermal Protection System Projects. Domepiercer is USC RPL’s next space-shot vehicle, and it will launch in April 2022.

Pinto strives to give back to the Trojan Family. He is the Director of External Relations at the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers - USC (SHPE-USC). As part of the SHPE-USC External Relations Committee, Pinto works with industry partners to provide professional development, community outreach, and hiring events for SHPEUSC members, which has helped Hispanic engineers find internships and full-time jobs with companies like Accenture, Chevron Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, Boeing Company, and several others. Additionally, Pinto is a Resident Assistant (RA) for USC Student Affairs. As an RA, Pinto introduces students to an array of social and professional developmental programs, as well as fosters successful paths for these incoming students to transition to college.

After graduation, Pinto will begin full time work at The Boeing Company as a Multidiscipline Engineer in the Boeing Commercial Airplanes Sector.

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USC LAA LEGACY AWARD HONOREES 2007

Carmen P. Nava

2008

George L. Pla

2009

Frank H. Cruz

2010

Dr. Pablo Prietto

2011

2012

2016

Dr. Richard Zapanta

Susan Sifuentes Trigueros

2013

2017

David, Priscilla & Michael Lizárraga

Ruben A. Smith

2014

Domenika Lynch

2015

Rigo Diaz III

2018

Roland, Ron & Walter Ulloa Manuel X. Anguiano

2019 2021

Karime Sanchez Bradvica

Michael A. Felix

DR. JOHN R. HUBBARD AWARD HONOREES 1977

Ines Hernandez

1978

Robert Morales

1979

Martha M. Escutia

1980

Eduardo Magdaleno

1981

Mercedes Marquez

1982

Martha Tapias

1983

George Aguilar

1984

Lydia Castañon

1985

Luis Perez

1986

Tom Calderon

1987

Diana Perez

1988

Elvira Garcia

1989

2001

William Garnica

Patricia Salazar

1990

2002

Richard Alcocer

Angel Gomez

1991

2003

Esteban Cruz

Cindy Panuco

1992

2004

Nayeli Garci-Crespo

Damaris Diaz

1993

2005

Samuel Perez

Maria G. Gutierrez

1994

2006

John Najera

Juan A. Alvarez

1995

2007

Susan Villa

Lucy Flores

1996

2008

Fabiola Pereyra

Valerie A. Flores

1997

2009

Edgar B. del Rio

Eric Zuniga

1998

2010

Angela Martinez

Lauren Alderette

1999

2011

Emily Mark

Silvia Merlos Green

2000

2012

Maricela Rodriguez

Erica Silva 12

2013

John M. Sandoval

2014

Rigoberto Bejarano

2015

Enrique Olivas

2016

Stephanie Brito

2017

Felicitas L. Reyes

2018

Diana Valenzuela

2019

Carlos Marin

2020

Maria Del Pilar Morales

2021

Jorge Campos Franco

LEADERSHIP

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Ismael Bautista, Jr. Southern California Gas Company a Sempra Energy Utility Chair Saul Alvarado E & I Cooperative Services Vice Chair Luis Campa M Chemical Company Secretary

Rosa Bravo Aequitas LLC.

Joel Pulgarin Paramount Safety Supply

Robert Campos Liberty Paper

Lorena Ramos Coca Cola

Yasmin Davidds, Psy.D., M.C.C. Dr. Yasmin Davidds Leadership Institute & Multicultural Women Executive Leadership Foundation

Tricia Sanchez C3 Tech Lupita Sanchez-Cornejo AT&T

Sonia Endler MGM

Susan Sifuentes Trigueros Southern California Gas Company a Sempra Energy Utility

Mauro Martinez T-Mobile

Mercy Willard USC Latino Alumni Association

Frank Medina Retired George A. Perez 1st Century Bank

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LEADERSHIP

CORPORATE ADVISORY COUNCIL Carmen L. Herrera Certified Public Accountant & Entrepreneur Chair

Frank H. Cruz USC Trustee

George L. Pla Cordoba Corporation

Michael A. Felix USC Trustee

R. Joseph Plascencia Plascencia Universal, S. de R.L. de C.V.

Efrain Garza Fuentes, Ed.D. Monumentum Consulting

Julius Robinson MUFG Union Bank, N.A.

Art M. Gastelum Gateway Science and Engineering

Raul Rodriguez Univision Communications

Christina M. Gonzalez Verizon Connect

Ruben A. Smith, Esq. AlvaradoSmith

Carlos Gutierrez, Jr. Ernst & Young LLP

Ron L. Ulloa KXLA Television-44

David C. Lizárraga TELACU Education Foundation

Peter R. Villegas Actum

Carmen P. Nava USC Trustee

Mercy Willard USC Latino Alumni Association

Fernando De Necocea (Ret) Southern California Edison

Gina Zapanta ZapantaAlder Law

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2022 GALA COMMITTEE

Christina Gonzalez Verizon Connect Gala Chair

Saul Alvarado E & I Cooperative

Adolfo Molina Vallarta Supermarkets

Ismael Bautista Southern California Gas Company

Christine Marie Ofiesh Philanthropist

Mary Bermudez Insight Tax CPAs

Lorena Guerrero de Plascencia PRIIMM, Inc.

Robert Campos Liberty Paper

Raul Rodriguez Univision

Yasmin Davidds, Psy.D, M.C.C. Dr. Yasmin Davidds Leadership Institute & Multicultural Women Executive Leadership Foundation

Lupita Sanchez Cornejo AT&T Brissa Sotelo Vargas Valero

Sonia Endler MGM

Robert Villaseñor City National Bank

Jordan Felix KDC Construction

Mercy Willard USC Latino Alumni Association

Maria Jones-Sechrest Teres Inc.

Dolores Sotelo USC Latino Alumni Association

Mauro Martinez T- Mobile

Isabel Aranda USC Latino Alumni Association

David Mora U.S. Bank

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SPONSORS * PRESENTING

TROJAN

Entravision

Alex Alonzo

Teres, Inc.

Azure Developments

Univision Los Angeles

KXLA-44

TEXT-TO-DONATE Union Bank

Carmen and Robert Nava

AT&T

Susan Garner

USC Alumni Association

Chubb

USC Fisher Fellowship Office of Experiential & Applied Learning

C3 Technology Services Comcast NBC Universal Dr. Yasmin Davidds Leadership Institute

Multicultural Women Executive Foundation East West Bank

BENEFACTOR Cordoba Corporation Michael A. Felix Rigo Diaz

Veronica & Raul Rodriguez US Bank

TRUSTEE AlderLaw & ZA Lawyers Amy & Jules Buenabenta Carmen L. Herrera Christina & Alberto Gonzalez

Southern California Gas Company

TELACU Education Foundation

T-Mobile

Bank of America

CNA

SIGNATURE

Stifel

Fidelity National Title Heather Cruz

Insight Tax, CPAs

Jacki and Gil Cisneros

JPMorgan Chase & Co. Law Offices of Gladdys J. Uribe

USC Credit Union

USC Marshall School of Business USC Neighborhood Academic Initiative

USC University Relations USI Insurance Valero

Vallarta Supermarkets

Vasquez & Company LLP Verizon

Wulbaldina Hinojosa

FRIEND OF LAA

Plascencia Risk Intelligence & Insurance Marketing Management, Inc.

California Credit Union

MGM

Rancho Santiago Community College District

Marsh McLennan Insurance OMLO Law

Prestige Protocol

Robert & Kathleen Campos Ronald McDonald House

Saul & Glenda K. Alvarado Sonia & Sean Endler

*Sponsors list current as of print deadline

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Lacovelli Family

Maribeth Annaguey

USC Viterbi School of Engineering Wells Fargo Bank Zurich

A SPECIAL THANK YOU

Isabel Aranda

Juvi Segura

Patrick Auerbach, Ed.D. ’08

Dolores Sotelo

Mari Bellefeuille

Sean Uray

Jeff Collins

Tim Walker

Judith Cummings Santos Herrera Alissa Hussey Kak Lee

Intercontinental Los Angeles Downtown Staff

Cya Nelson

Mariachi de USC

Edgar Pablos

Tribesmen Pictures

Mariah Aide Quintero

USC Latino Alumni Association Scholars

Rob Ritter Adam Rosen

USC Office of Cultural Relations and University Events

Celia Ruedas

USC Trojan Marching Band

Vivian Sampson

Wife of the Party

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Recognizing extraordinary Latino alumni and students

SUPPORT OUR SCHOLARS Text to Donate Send SCLAA to 71777

Proceeds raised support scholarships and professional development programming

#USCLAAgala