Hispanic Business Council Scholarship Foundation of NJ, Inc. Announces Scholarship & Book Stipend Award Recipients at 20th Annual Scholarship Gala

TEANECK, NJ, May 13, 2011

The Hispanic Business Council Scholarship Foundation of NJ, Inc. (HBCSF) awarded $40,000 in scholarships and book stipend awards to 19 current college and college-bound Hispanic students at the organization's 20th Annual Scholarship Gala, "Developing Future Leaders," held on Thursday, May 12, 2011 at The Estate at Florentine Gardens, 97 Rivervale Rd. in River Vale, New Jersey. The event was the nonprofit organization's major fund-raiser of the year for scholarship support.

The following students from New Jersey received scholarship awards ranging from $2,000-$4,000.

Angelika Arias, Newark. $2,000. After graduating from Christ the King Prep School, Ms. Arias will attend The College of New Jersey to pursue a degree in criminal justice. On the honor roll in high school, she has served as Youth Court Advocate and Youth Council Member of Newark and is a New Jersey Youth Delegate with the National League of Cities Council.

Zindy Arias, Jersey City. $2,000. A senior at William L. Dickinson High School, Ms. Arias plans to attend The College of New Jersey. Throughout high school, she has volunteered in different community events, been an active member of the National Honor Society, and played on the woman's volleyball team, which named her captain this year.

Jonathan Candelaria, Jersey City. $4,000. A senior at Marist High School in Bayonne, Mr. Candelaria is an honor roll student and a National Honor Society member. He plans to study pre-medicine at Boston University.

Gabrielle Caparimo, East Rutherford. $3,000. A senior at Henry P. Becton Regional High School in East Rutherford, Ms. Caparimo will attend Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey in New Brunswick in the fall and plans to pursue a degree in pre-medicine.

Keysi Castillo, Garfield. $3,000. Ms. Castillo is currently a student at Ramapo College pursuing an undergraduate degree in Spanish education with minors in Latin American Studies and Italian.

Elaine Gomez, Union City. $3,000. Ms. Gomez is the HBCSF's 2011 recipient of the Platinum Sponsors Outstanding Achievement Award and a 2010 scholarship awardee. A chemical engineering student at New Jersey Institute of Technology's Honors College, she is also a volunteer tutor on the campus and conducting environmental research.

Joshua Hoyos, Parsippany. $2,000. A freshman at Rutgers The State University of New Jersey-Newark, Mr. Hoyos is the news editor of The Rutgers Observer and aspires to be a broadcast journalist. In 2010, he received the HBCSF's Mercedes-Benz Outstanding Achievement Award.

Melissa Santos, North Bergen. $4,000. A senior at High-Tech High School in North Bergen, Ms. Santos will attend Seton Hall University. She plans to pursue studies in political science and a pre-law track in the fall of 2011.

Paola Severino, Union City. $4,000. Ms. Severino is a senior at Union City High School and will graduate valedictorian of the class of 2011. She plans to major in chemical engineering at Yale University and aspires to become a scientific researcher.

Walter Sueldo, West Orange. $3,000. A native of Peru, Mr. Sueldo is an architecture student attending Essex County College. He plans to continue his studies in a five-year program and to pursue a bachelor's degree in architecture.

Martin Ventoso, Newark. $3,000. Mr. Ventoso, a senior at Saint George's School in Rhode Island, plans to pursue a premedical track at Johns Hopkins University. He is a part of the Wight Foundation, an organization that helps talented students from the city of Newark attend private boarding schools.

The following students were recognized with a $1,000 book stipend award.

Elizabeth Aguilar, North Bergen. In her last year at Paramus Catholic High School, Ms. Aguilar will attend the University of Connecticut in the fall to study pharmacy.

Ashley Cintron, Union City. Currently a sophomore at Montclair State University, Ms. Cintron is pursuing a degree in education. In 2010, she received a $1,000 book stipend award and in 2009, she was the HBCSF's Mercedes-Benz Outstanding Achievement Award recipient of a $4,000 scholarship.

Sebastian Faciolince, Ridgefield Park. Originally from Medellin, Colombia, Mr. Faciolince currently attends Bergen Community College and is pursuing an associate degree in drafting and design technology.

Christine Torres, Rahway. Ms. Torres is a senior at Rahway High School. After graduating from high school this June, she will attend Vassar College.

Gina Vazquez, Trenton. Ms. Vasquez, a senior at Trenton Central High School, will attend New Jersey City University and major in criminal justice studies. Her goal is to become a law enforcement officer and to join the United States Air Force.

Jorge Ivan Gomez Wei, Fair Lawn. Mr. Gomez Wei is pursuing an AAS degree in horticulture and an AS degree in business administration at Bergen Community College. He plans to continue his studies at Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey's Cook College campus in the agricultural department.

The following students were recognized with a $500 book stipend award.

Jazmine Figueroa, Newark. Currently a sophomore at New Jersey City University, Ms. Figueroa is pursuing a degree in P-3 Special Education and Psychology and plans to become a teacher. She is an active member in her community volunteering with Girl Scouts of America and the Big Brothers Big Sisters program.

Estefany Orellana, Newark. Originally from El Salvador, Ms. Orellana has taken technical courses and received training to become a dental assistant at Essex County Vocational Technical High School in Newark. She will attend college in the fall of 2011 and hopes to pursue a career as a dentist.

The gala was the nonprofit organization's major fundraiser of the year for scholarship support. From 1993 to the present, HBCSF has awarded $325,500 to 120 students throughout the state.

This year's annual gala recognized the following two honorees for their leadership and contributions to the community: Dario A. Cortes, Ph.D., President, Berkeley College and Lillian Rodríguez López, President, Hispanic Federation.

Sponsors
To date, the 2011 sponsors instrumental in providing funding for this year's scholarship and book stipend awards by platinum, gold and bronze levels are as follows. Platinum sponsors are Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC and Wells Fargo Private Bank. Gold sponsors are Berkeley College, "PIX11 and Tribune Broadcasting", Quixote Dunes, Inc., Unilever and Verizon. The bronze level sponsors are Booz | Allen | Hamilton, New Jersey Accounting Services, Inc., haute couture designer Nicolás Felizola, "Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation" represented by the Hispanic Leadership Network, Prudential, PSE&G and UPS.

About HBCSF
The Hispanic Business Council Scholarship Foundation of NJ, Inc. is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization with a mission to advance the educational aspirations of Hispanic students so that they may become professionals, leaders and valued citizens of the community. The foundation accomplishes this by providing scholarships for a college education based on academic excellence and financial need. The HBCSF scholarship application may be downloaded at the organization's web site.

Donations are welcomed and may be made online or sent to HBCSF, 429C Cedar Lane #313, Teaneck, New Jersey 07666. For further information about the HBCSF, visit http://www.hbcsf.org or send an inquiry to info@hbscf.org.