U S C L A T I N O A L U M N I A S S O C I A T I O N S A T U R D A Y , M A R C H 1 1 , 2 0 2 3 S C HO L A R S H I P f o r t y - e i g ht h
G A L A
THE USC LATINO ALUMNI ASSOCIATION PROUDLY PRESENTS THE
SoCalGas
CARMEN
Entrepreneur
Vida For Vitality
CAROL ESPERANZA ALATA
RIANNA R. RIOS
LUIS WUALDEMAR TUN OROZCO
MISTRESS OF CEREMONIES
ROSA BRAVO ’86, MS ’93
Gala Chair & Board of Directors Member
USC Latino Alumni Association
INTERCONTINENTAL LOS ANGELES DOWNTOWN
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 47 years, the USC Latino Alumni Association has awarded more than $22.4 million and provided more than 9,400 scholarships to USC students.
2023 USC LAA CORPORATE LEADERSHIP AWARD HONOREE
2023 USC LAA LEGACY AWARD HONOREE
L. HERRERA ’89
DR. JOHN R. HUBBARD AWARD HONOREES
Dear Trojan Family and Friends,
On behalf of The Board of Directors and the Corporate Advisory Council, it is a pleasure to welcome you to the 48th USC Latino Alumni Association’s (LAA) Scholarship Gala!
The event allows us to highlight an exemplary alumna with the Legacy Award, a distinguished corporation with the Corporate Leadership Award, and a graduating senior with the Dr. John R. Hubbard Award.
This is possible through the generous support of our presenting sponsors, Entravision and KXLA, and other key sponsors and supporters like yourself. Your investment of time, energy, and financial support significantly impacts our scholarship recipients’ future.
Tonight, we recognize and pay tribute to Carmen Herrera ’89 as this year’s Legacy Award honoree. Carmen personifies the Trojan Spirit through her professional and personal achievements, dedication to philanthropy, commitment to the Latino community, and service to the university. We congratulate SoCalGas on receiving the Corporate Leadership Award for their leadership and commitment to helping fulfill our mission. In addition, we celebrate our students and congratulate the Dr. John Hubbard Award finalists!
Thank you to the members of this year’s Gala Committee, Rosa Bravo ’86, MS ’93 - Gala Chair, Ismael Bautista Jr. ’03 - Hubbard Award Committee Chair, and the LAA team for producing an unforgettable evening.
Fight On!
Saul Alvarado ’00 Chair, Board of Directors USC Latino Alumni Association
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WELCOME
Saul Alvarado ’00
WELCOME FROM THE GALA CHAIR
¡Buenas Noches y Bienvenidos!
Welcome to the 48th USC Latino Alumni Association Scholarship Gala.
Let the celebration begin! Thanks to all of you, we are changing lives by providing scholarships, mentoring opportunities, and career guidance that prepare USC’s Latino students to make significant contributions to our local and global communities. The scholars we celebrate tonight are amazing individuals, and I know that you will be inspired by their extraordinary stories. LAA’s goals are big, and our hearts are even bigger as we advance this next generation of extraordinary Latino leaders.
We also honor Carmen Herrera—loyal friend, esteemed industry leader, entrepreneur, and philanthropist—for her unwavering dedication to the Latino community and her exemplary service to USC. We salute SoCalGas for its support of our work and the difference the company makes in our communities through impactful advocacy, philanthropy, and employee volunteerism. We also recognize this evening’s forwardthinking sponsors for helping LAA support, unconditionally, our scholars’ academic journeys and dreams at USC.
Our dedicated Gala Committee and LAA staff join me in saying thank you for caring the way that you do.
Fight On!
Rosa Bravo ’86, MS ’93
Gala Chair & Member of the Board of Directors USC Latino Alumni Association
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Rosa Bravo ’86, MS ’93
USC TROJAN MARCHING BAND
MARIACHI LOS TROYANOS DE USC
INVOCATION
WELCOME MERCY WILLARD, E d D ’21 Executive Director
USC Latino Alumni Association
PATRICK AUERBACH, E d D ’08
Associate Senior Vice President for Alumni Relations
USC Alumni Association
MISTRESS OF CEREMONIES
ROSA BRAVO ’86, MS ’93
Gala Chair & Board of Directors Member
USC Latino Alumni Association
2023 USC LAA CORPORATE LEADERSHIP AWARD PRESENTER
SUSAN SIFUENTES TRIGUEROS ’82
Board Member Emeriti
USC Latino Alumni Association
2023 USC LAA CORPORATE LEADERSHIP AWARD HONOREE
SoCalGas
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PROGRAM SPECIAL PERFORMANCE
PROGRAM
DINNER
SPECIAL PERFORMANCE
RACHEL CERVANTES
USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
USC Latino Alumni Association Scholar
2023 USC LAA LEGACY AWARD PRESENTER
SAUL ALVARADO ’00
Board of Directors Chair
USC Latino Alumni Association
2023 USC LAA LEGACY AWARD HONOREE
CARMEN L. HERRERA ’89
Entrepreneur Vida For Vitality
DR. JOHN R. HUBBARD AWARD PRESENTER
ISMAEL BAUTISTA JR. ’03
Board of Directors Member & Dr. John R. Hubbard Committee Chair
USC Latino Alumni Association
DANCING IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING
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2023 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
USC LATINO ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
2023 LEGACY AWARD HONOREE
Carmen is an entrepreneur and in the process of launching her new venture: “Vida For Vitality,” a juice enterprise aimed at brain health with a particular interest in underserved communities. Carmen’s prior corporate experience includes finance and operational roles with Fortune 500, international, start-up and Big Four public accounting firms in Energy, Manufacturing, Satellite Communications, and Entertainment.
For nearly 20 years, Carmen worked for the Sempra Energy family of companies, holding various director roles. In 2007, Carmen became the first Latina director at this Fortune 500 company. Areas of responsibilities included Real Estate, Fleet Services, Facility Operations & Capital Programs, Land Management and Supplier Diversity, including sustainable programs implementation.
Carmen started her career with Ernst & Young LLP as an auditor and worked in various industries in financial and accounting roles from financial analyst to controller with organizations such as Paramount Pictures, Univisa, Inc., Hughes Communications and StarGuide Digital Networks before joining Sempra in 2001.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Southern California and a C.P.A. license. Carmen serves on the USC Alumni Association Board of Governors, is the Co-Chair of the 2023 USC Women’s Conference, past chair of the Corporate Advisory Council of the USC Latino Alumni Association and the past president of the board of trustees for Camp Ronald McDonald For Good Times. Carmen has held leadership positions with various non-profit organizations, and she is an alumna of the Southern California Leadership Network, Leadership California, and LEAD San Diego. In her spare time, Carmen enjoys sailing, traveling, cycling, college football and other sports.
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CARMEN L. HERRERA ’89 Entrepreneur Vida for Vitality
DR. JOHN R. HUBBARD AWARD FINALIST
CAROL ESPERANZA ALATA
Bachelor of Science in Computational Neuroscience with an emphasis on Biomedical Engineering
Minor in Native American Studies
Carol Esperanza Alata is a first-generation and financially emancipated college student from Clayton, CA. Coming from a first-generation Peruvian American home with parents who made many sacrifices when it came to health, Alata knew from a young age that she wanted to become a doctor that would serve the Latinx and Indigenous communities.
At USC, Carol challenged herself by majoring in Computational Neuroscience, as she learned of the advances USC was making when it came to neural implant devices. She spent the past three years in a computational lab, and this year, started working in a neurorobotics lab. One of her goals is to have a first-author publication for the Neurorobotics lab which she hopes to achieve this year. Alata also conducts research in public health. She recently was co-author of a publication that highlights the different experiences undocumented individuals face in the emergency department and why they opt to go to the emergency department.
At Interaxon, an organization whose mission is to teach students of underserved K-12 schools in the Los Angeles area about neuroscience and STEM, Alata serves as the Director of External Affairs. In 2020, she established a mentorship program that has served over 200 high school students with college preparation. She also established partnerships with surrounding LA community organizations such as College Access Readiness and Success and CSU Dominguez Hills GEAR-UP programs.
After graduation, Alata aspires to pursue an MD/PhD, a dual degree program where she intends to pursue a PhD in Neural Engineering. She wants to become a neurosurgeon who works to cure and find better treatments for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s Disease. Her passion for this area of medicine comes from her grandmother’s recent diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and losing a close friend to a brain tumor.
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DR. JOHN R. HUBBARD AWARD FINALIST
Rianna Rios is a first-generation college student from Montebello, CA. Before transferring to USC, she spent a year volunteering as an English and Math teacher in India and Vietnam, as well as studying Spanish Language and Literature curriculum in Spain. She chose the combination of policy and the arts to highlight the importance of the “in-between” stories that have not been acknowledged in today’s policies. She opted to pursue the law track in the public policy program and a minor in Performing Social Change. Through this, she explored how a performance advocates, represents, and empowers the voices of an audience. Throughout her academic career, she has taught activism theater in middle schools and researched how community performing arts projects cultivate inclusiveness in the policy areas of economic development, civic engagement, and education.
At USC, Rianna has been involved in Undergraduate Student Government serving as the Director of the Performing Arts Committee and as the Senior Executive Aid for Labor Relations. She has also been awarded a grant with the USC Arts and Climate Collective, where she focuses on projects that intersect art and activism. As a Shaeffer Fellow in government service, she interned at the LA City Council, where she worked on legislation regarding layered issues of homelessness, Angeleno identity, and accessibility to the sustainable development of the city. By having a nexus of creativity and theoretical practice in policymaking, she hopes to collectively lead with a more empathetic and realistic framework.
As the Chair of the Anti-Racism and Equity Chair in the Norman Topping Student Governing Board, she has been able to actively engage in dialogues about diversity in higher education and express student needs. She has developed a deep awareness of her various identities, especially coming into her Latine identity. She navigates between opportunity and limitation, representation, and invisibility. She credits her growth to her first teachers —her family members, particularly generations of resilient and resourceful women.
Rianna is a Semi-Finalist for Mexico Fulbright ETA and hopes to continue working in local policy, advocating for the rights and opportunities of Latine communities.
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RIANNA R. RIOS
Bachelor of Science in Public Policy Minor in Performing Social Change
DR. JOHN R. HUBBARD AWARD FINALIST
Bachelor of Arts in Political Science
Master of Science in Communication Data Science
Luis Wualdemar Tun Orozco is a first-generation, low-income, indigenous Mayan immigrant, and LGBTQ+ pre-law student. Tun Orozco was born in Muna, Yucatan, Mexico and raised in Newbury Park, California. He is a USC Latino Alumni Association scholar, USC Norman Topping Student Aid Fund scholar, and USC Dornsife Fisher Fellow.
Growing up, Luis struggled with financial insecurity, being undocumented, and finding his true passion. As the son of Mexican immigrant parents, he was taught to pursue only two career paths: doctor or lawyer. USC allowed him to gain financial security and the opportunity to explore other career paths. Both the USC LAA’s mentorship program and Society 53 (USC Student Alumni Society) gave him the personal and professional opportunity to learn about career paths. Through this, he found he had an interest in data analytics and technology.
At USC, he has been part of Society 53 and the USC Dornsife Fisher Fellowship. Through Society 53, he has served as Vice President and worked to make programming accessible to low-income and minority students. He has coordinated networking and professional development programming for USC students. However, Fisher Fellowship has been the most meaningful USC organization for him. Tun Orozco has made it his mission to leave a strong foundation for the fellowship before graduating and has organized numerous service events, helped recruit new cohorts, and grown the organization’s social media presence. For the past seven years, he has also volunteered at the Westminster Free Clinic—a non-profit focused on providing free healthcare and low-income families in Ventura County.
Following graduation from USC, Tun Orozco will begin his career at Goldman Sachs as a Human Capital Management analyst in Dallas, Texas. He is also interested in technology and entrepreneurship and hopes to pivot his career into these fields in the future. For Tun Orozco, working directly with underrepresented populations, such as the first-generation, low-income, and immigrant Latino communities is a priority.
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LUIS WUALDEMAR TUN OROZCO
2007
Carmen P. Nava
2008
George L. Pla
2009
Frank H. Cruz
2010
Dr. Pablo Prietto
2011
Karime Sanchez Bradvica
2012
Dr. Richard Zapanta
2013
David, Priscilla & Michael Lizárraga
2014
Roland, Ron & Walter Ulloa
2015
Manuel X. Anguiano
2016
Susan Sifuentes Trigueros
2017
Ruben A. Smith
2018
Domenika Lynch
2019
Rigo Diaz III
2021
Michael A. Felix
2022
Laura Peralta
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
William Garnica
1990
Richard Alcocer
1991
Esteban Cruz
1992
Nayeli Garci-Crespo
1993
Samuel Perez
1994
John Najera
1995
Susan Villa
1996
Fabiola Pereyra
1997
Edgar B. del Rio
1998
Angela Martinez
1999
Emily Mark
2000
Maricela Rodriguez
2001
Patricia Salazar
2002
Angel Gomez
2003
Cindy Panuco
2004
Damaris Diaz
2005
Maria G. Gutierrez
2006
Juan A. Alvarez
2007
Lucy Flores
2008
Valerie A. Flores
2009
Eric Zuniga
2010
Lauren Alderette
2011
Silvia Merlos Green
2012
Erica Silva
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
2022
Alejandra Barreto
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USC LAA LEGACY AWARD HONOREES
LEADERSHIP
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Saul Alvarado
E & I Cooperative Services
Chair
Yasmin Davidds, PsyD, MCC
Dr. Yasmin Davidds Leadership Institute & Multicultural Women Executive Leadership Foundation
Vice Chair
Luis Campa
M Chemical Company Secretary
Gustavo Amaral
UBS Private Wealth Management
Ismael Bautista, Jr.
SoCalGas
Rosa Bravo Aequitas LLC.
Robert Campos
Liberty Paper
Yimi Casasola
Union Bank
Sonia Endler
Senior Finance Executive
Mauro Martinez Entrepreneur
Frank Medina
Retired
Laura Peralta
JP Morgan Chase
Lorena Ramos
The Wonderful Company
Tricia Sanchez
C3 Tech
Lupita Sanchez-Cornejo
AT&T
Mercy Willard, EdD
USC Latino Alumni Association
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LEADERSHIP
CORPORATE ADVISORY COUNCIL
Christina M. Gonzalez, EdD Verizon Connect Chair
Frank H. Cruz USC Trustee Emeriti
Michael A. Felix USC Trustee
David C. Lizárraga TELACU Education Foundation
Carmen P. Nava USC Trustee
R. Joseph Plascencia
Plascencia Universal, S. de R.L. de C.V.
Raul Rodriguez Media Executive
Ron L. Ulloa
KXLA
Mercy Willard, EdD USC Latino Alumni Association
Gina Zapanta ZapantaAlder Law
Evy Zavala
Zavala Law Firm PC
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2023 GALA COMMITTEE
Rosa Bravo Aequitas LLC Chair
Saul Alvarado E & I Cooperative
Elisa Amaral Philanthropist
Ismael Bautista Jr. SoCalGas
Mary Bermudez
GYL CPAs and Advisors
Robert Campos Liberty Paper
Yimi Casasola Union Bank
Yasmin Davidds, PsyD, MCC
Dr. Yasmin Davidds Leadership Institute & Multicultural Women Executive Leadership Foundation
Sonia Endler Senior Finance Executive
Christina Gonzalez, EdD Verizon Connect
Gabriel Guerrero
KW Commercial
Maria Jones-Sechrest Teres Inc.
Mauro Martinez Entrepreneur
David Mora U.S. Bank
Laura Peralta
Chase
Lorena Guerrero de Plascencia
PRIIMM, Inc.
Gary Purcell Retired
Raul Rodriguez Media Executive
Mercy Willard, EdD
USC Latino Alumni Association
Dolores Sotelo
USC Latino Alumni Association
Isabel Aranda
USC Latino Alumni Association
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SPONSORS
PRESENTING
Entravision
KXLA
TEXT-TO-DONATE
Union Bank
Carmen and Robert Nava
BENEFACTOR
Cordoba Corporation
Kim & Rigo Diaz
SoCalGas
Susan Garner US Bank
Veronica & Raul Rodriguez TRUSTEE
Amy & Jules Buenabenta
Carmen L. Herrera
Chase
Debbie & Michael Felix
Elisa & Gustavo Amaral
Ellen Chen & Mario Del Pero
TELACU
TROJAN
1st Century Bank
AT&T
Bank of America
Burlington Stores, Inc.
C3 Technology Services
Christina & Alberto Gonzalez Chubb
Dr. Yasmin Davidds Leadership Institute & Multicultural Women Executive Foundation
Erick and Candela Diaz
F. Gaviña and Sons
Glenda & Saul Alvarado
GYL CPAs and Advisors
Heather Cruz
Inglewood Park Cemetery
Insperity
Kathleen & Robert Campos
K&L Gates Law
KW Commercial
Law Offices of Gladdys J. Uribe
Mauro Martinez & Family Menchaca & Company
Morgan Stanley
Nancy Nip Rougine
Plascencia Risk Intelligence & Insurance Marketing Management, Inc. (PRIIMM)
Prestige Protocol
Sonia & Sean Endler
Stifel
Teres, Inc.
USC Alumni Association
USC Credit Union
USC Marshall School of Business
USC Neighborhood Academic Initiative
USC University Relations
Verizon
Verizon Connect
Wulbaldina Hinojosa
FRIEND OF LAA
Zurich
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*Sponsors list current as of print deadline
*
A SPECIAL THANK YOU
Isabel Aranda
Patrick Auerbach, EdD ’08
Mari Bellefeuille
Juliet Brown
Rachel Cervantes
Jeff Collins
Judith Cummings
Cya Nelson Drew
Santos Herrera
Kak Lee
Adrian Lopez
Edgar Pablos
Rob Ritter
Adam Rosen
Celia Ruedas
Vivian Sampson
Juvi Segura
Dolores Sotelo
Sean Uray
Intercontinental Los Angeles Downtown Staff
Mariachi Los Troyanos De USC
Tribesmen Pictures
USC Latino Alumni Association Scholars
USC Office of Cultural Relations and University Events
USC Trojan Marching Band
Wife of the Party
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RECOGNIZING EXTRAORDINARY LATINO ALUMNI AND STUDENTS
Proceeds raised support scholarships and professional development programming
#USCLAAgala
SUPPORT OUR SCHOLARS Text to Donate Send SCLAA to 71777
