Gilroy
– Five young women showcased their talents and shared in $10,000
in scholarship awards this weekend at the 17th annual Hispanic
Chamber of Commerce Ambassador’s Ball.
Gilroy – Five young women showcased their talents and shared in $10,000 in scholarship awards this weekend at the 17th annual Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Ambassador’s Ball.
More than 150 people turned out May 6 at the Gilroy Elks Lodge to watch the Latina students perform in a competition honoring Hispanic culture and history.
Before they can step foot on stage, contestants must demonstrate consistently high grade point averages, leadership skills and other qualities. This year’s pool included three young women who attend Gavilan College and two from El Portal Academy.
The talent portion of the evening included a performance of the classic song “Guadalajara” by Betsey Avelar, a Gavilan student who took home the first-place scholarship of $1,850. Avelar, 20, serves as student body president at Gavilan and editor-in-chief of the school’s paper, The Rambler. Her plans for the future include starting a bilingual independent newspaper.
Four other girls shared in scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $1,550 each. They included Gavilan students Sara Canales and Rosio Franco and El Portal students Gina Carrillo and Gabriela Mendoza.
In addition to performing a traditional song or dance, each girl modeled a clothing ensemble from a Spanish-speaking country.
In the final event, students answered questions ranging from describing their strengths and weaknesses to how they plan to give back to the community.
Gina Carrillo had a clear vision. She plans to start her own interior design business and eventually offer internships and workshops for local Latinos.
Carrillo said: “I want them to find themselves in art as I do.”
