My Summer in Spain

By Eletha Flores

Not only did working on the stroke rehabilitation project motivate me to become interested in the health sciences, just living in Spain has opened my eyes to health-promoting ways of life that make up a norm. It has also made me think a lot about the health of American people in comparison.

The first major shock that hit me when I got to Spain was how many elderly people I saw walking around in the street. This sounds normal, but from my experience in the States, well for one thing, people don’t usually go walking around, but on the other hand, I don’t see a lot of active elderly people. I see a lot of people on motorized carts- here too, but less often- and from what I get from television and the news, I imagine a large percentage of elderly life is confined to elderly homes or inside the home in the US. There, I do not frequently see elderly people walking together enjoying the city as if they were no different than their younger fellow citizens. Looking around San Sebastian, however, I notice all kinds of people from all walks of life walking around, ice cream in hand, watching street performers, in the bars, on the beach. Everyone is just going and going. And then it struck me. People are actually healthy here- or at least way more healthy than Americans. It's as if obesity is practically nonexistent; I rarely even see very overweight people. The site of these people so active and lively was amazing to me. Of course, the culture is of life in the streets. This does not carry the connotation of a fast, hard, criminal, or impoverished life at all. Life in the streets here means this is how people are active. Granted, the set up of the city is planned such that cars are not necessary and public transportation is fairly decent. A lot better than the bus system serving Cambridge, MA, at least. You can wait for the Number 1 bus on 77 Mass Ave for 40 minutes only to see three go by at one time once you’ve stopped waiting and decided to walk to Harvard Square. But everyone is eating, drinking, having ice cream, but also walking it all off, standing in the bars and streets socializing more so than sitting; and swimming, surfing, climbing the nearby mountains, biking, running, dancing, and just pretty much just playing around. It’s awesome. The health here just astonishes me. Going to the supermarket, I can’t find a huge variety (they don’t even sell peanut butter or bananas- you’ll have to go to the market or smaller grocers) but they have lots of natural, fresh, and whole food options. I’ve never felt better on a day to day basis and I’ve never been so fit in my life. I actually lost 18 lbs in the past two months of eating more whole foods and walking around more than driving around. Of course, this is summer time so there’s more time to be active and pay more attention to health than during the year or more intense periods of work, but still.

It makes me look back at my "normal" life in the States and how difficult it is to block the barrage of marketing tactics to persuade us to make unhealthy choices in our everyday lives. What are we as a generation going to do about this state of affairs? Do we agree with it? Do we want to change it? Is it even a question of personal health and therefore personal responsibility, or is it a question of global health and thus everyone's responsibility to make change? Looking at this issue globally, you could link global climate change to the over production of livestock for food and its substantial contribution of methane to the greenhouse gases in our atmosphere (even more than transportation). I think American society as a whole needs more education in nutrition. I mean, I certainly don't remember learning how to make healthy food choices while living in the United States in school. They teach everyone the food pyramid but that has so little power in the face of billions of dollars in marketing for fast food options. Maybe the food pyramid would be practical in other countries where food isn't so heavily processed and then injected with chemicals in an attempt to recreate the taste it once had. None of the food drawn on the food pyramid isn't sealed in plastic with the title "Hungry-Man" or put in a paper bag with a large yellow "M" on the side which is what we see as food everyday. I call for more education, life-long nutritional education, and a crack down on the excessive marketing of junk foods. How would you approach this issue and in what ways would you change the current state of affairs in the States to combat this unhealthy consumption?

The Million Dollar Question: Where are you going to college?

By Grecia Gonzalez

I’m going to Harvard, but in all honesty I was never the weird five year old who ran around screaming that. In fact, I didn’t realize that Harvard was the place for me until I went to summer school there last year. And you know what? That’s totally normal. Despite the fact that you’ll run into dozens of classmates that will tell you that their life goal is to go to X College, the reality is that they may only be saying that to look cool or they really don’t know. And it’s okay to not know. What matters is eventually figuring it out, and there is a way to go about doing that.

You’ll find that college searching ironically requires an odd amount of soul searching. I’m not saying this to be clichéd; it’s mostly true. When you’re looking for a school it’s important that you understand what kind of person you are and what it is that you want out of college. Are you comfortable with lots of people or do you prefer a smaller, closer-knit community? Do you want a more practical hands-on education, or is your passion theory? Do you want to live far away from home or close by? All of these questions and more have different answers for different people, but they’re not impossible to answer. In fact, when you break down college in terms of simple questions, the actual decision isn’t hard.

When I started thinking about college my junior year (and this is kind of bad of me since it’s usually better to do this earlier) I had already started constructing an idea of what kind of college I wanted to attend. I wanted a college with a strong foundation and emphasis in theory and plenty of research opportunities. I wanted to explore life out of California (i.e., go to school on the East Coast), but I wasn’t opposed to staying if my options where better in my state. Needless to say, this gave me a ridiculously large selection of schools. So, how did I narrow it down?

Your pool of college applications should follow the policy of “Safe, Middle, Reach.” What that phrase means is that the schools you apply to should fall into the different categories of “safety” school, “middle” school, or “reach” school. You should apply to “safety schools,” or schools that you know will accept you given your past and current performance (and that might even accept you if you for some reason succumb to the terrible ailment of Senioritis – though I strongly urge against you contracting it). You should also apply to schools that are slightly more competitive but that would still be within your range of college attractiveness (e.g., grades and extracurricular activities). These “middle schools” are ones that you should expect to get into if you keep up good to excellent work, but definitely have more presence than your safety schools. Finally, you should apply to “reach schools,” or schools that technically might be beyond your level or what you perceive to be your level. These are schools like, but not exclusively, Ivies. Now, you might be afraid to apply to these schools because you might think that you don’t stand a chance, but don’t be so pessimistic. Remember, the worst a reach school can do is reject you. Don’t reject yourself before they do. They know who can cut it at their schools, so if they do accept you, don’t be afraid to go. They want you for a reason.

However, by far the most important piece of advice for applying to schools is this: apply only to schools that you would be happy to go to if they accepted you. You’ll find that if you do this after you construct your “Safe, Middle, Reach” list, you’ll easily be able to manage the applications for the coming year. Remember, it’s important to narrow down the list to a manageable number so that actually applying to them and keeping up with their paperwork and specific needs doesn’t leave you with any permanent trauma. No need to kill your desire for college before you even get there, right?

SCHOOL IS ALMOST HERE!!!!

By Shelbie Bruce

First and foremost I want to wish everyone the very best year ever!!! I also want to motivate everyone to start the year with a positive attitude and enthusiasm. Let’s start the year with goals that will keep us focused and have a good routine.

There are probably some that think that school is a drag and find every excuse in the book not to go to school, be lazy or show no interest. Believe me, I’ve been there and done that. What most of us don’t know is that, most of those excuses are based on peer pressure. Some of us may know it, but, we don’t want to accept it. Why? It’s not cool and we are afraid to loose friends right? I can assure you that a true friend will want you to succeed as much as you want the same for him/her. I’m here to tell you that we need to stand up for ourselves and not allow our peers to push us around much less, manipulate our future by deciding the number of zeros our pay checks should have when we get jobs.
Surround yourself with the type of friends who have your same goals in life, even if you get called names like geeks or nerds. After all, the geeks and the nerds will be the ones doing the hiring and firing so day.

I would like to close this blog with my friend Wilmer Valderrama’s motto and quote “SOMEONE IS GOING TO BE THE BEST AND GET THE JOB, WHY NOT YOU”.

God bless you all and work hard!!!!

PS. As promised here are some photos of Little Miss CEO. Hope you enjoy. Check my website, www.shelbiebruce.com, for more news.

From left to right; Mitchell Klebanoff(Executive Producer), John Bowab (Director), Shelbie Bruce, Martin Jones (Producer), Todd Senturia (Executive Producer/Creator. This is Shelbie' Dream Team.

Kevin Covais, Cyrina Fiallo, Kemp Lee, Shelbie Bruce, Sharon Pierre-Louis, Karolin Luna

Karolin Luna, Diego Serrano, Shelbie Bruce, Rudy Rodriguez.

Cote de Pable (NCIS) and Shelbie Bruce

Foundation News

24 Hour Charity Dance Marathon on October 9

Celebrity beauty guru and long-time stylist for the Hispanic Heritage Awards Erwin Gomez will host the Erwin Gomez Annual Dance Marathon to raised funds for the Hispanic Heritage Foundations leadership and educational youth programs on October 9 at the Renaissance M St. Hotel in Washington, DC. Gomez’ event will annually support charitable causes in the Washington Area.

“As an entrepreneur who has been blessed with success, I felt a strong sense of responsibility to help the organizations whose mission is to help those in need,” said Gomez who owns Erwin Gomez Salon in Georgetown. “That is why I created this signature event which will annually raise money for a different nonprofit. I’ve been working as a volunteer with the Hispanic Heritage Foundation for years and have witnessed their impact on Latino students and young professionals in the workforce. We look forward to helping them expand their programs to reach even more young people.”

The 300-person event will feature a 24-hour dance marathon filled with registered dancers required to raise a $500 minimum dollar amount after signing up for four, 12 and 24-hour shifts. The Hispanic Heritage Foundation and Erwin Gomez will be inviting a few of their celebrity friends to take part in the extravaganza which will also provide local and national companies with high-profile exposure to an energetic and influential audience dancing for an important cause during Hispanic Heritage Month. Dancers and sponsors will soon be able to register online. Visit: www.erwingomezsalon.com

The event is alcohol-free and fruit juices, water, healthy food will be served throughout the marathon, which is currently being sponsored by DC Modern Luxury, Marriott Hotels International and Paloma Blanca Creative Enterprises. All proceeds from the 2008 Erwin Gomez Annual Dance Marathon will benefit the Hispanic Heritage Foundation.

“We are grateful to our good friend Erwin for his support and indefatigable spirit,” said Antonio Tijerino, President and CEO of the Hispanic Heritage Foundation. “He is not only raising money to fuel our educational, leadership and workforce programs for youth, but he is also raising awareness about the positive contributions our burgeoning community has made and will make to America.”

Visit: The Hispanic Heritage Foundation

Culture

By Keone Hon

Today I had an interesting discussion with a couple of the researchers in my workplace about culture. Several of them have small children (actually, pretty much all the people here are in their thirties, probably because the methodologies we focus on are fairly new) and are trying to figure out how to teach their children their culture and language when their families and others who share their culture are far away.

The matter got me thinking about my own upbringing, as well as about how I can pass on my family’s traditions, along with the knowledge I’ve gained over the years, to my own children.

My family background is multicultural My mom is Mexican, and my dad is Chinese. Since my mom doesn’t know Chinese, and my dad doesn’t know either Spanish or Chinese, you can probably guess which language I spoke growing up: English! It’s always been a great regret of mine that I didn’t learn Spanish growing up, because I have never been able to attain fluency. I guess that shouldn’t be a surprise, since there’s a big gap between high school Spanish and conversational fluency. But it’s always been disappointing, because our language is a big part of our culture. The way we say hello to each other, the way we tell stories, our intonation when we make a joke or tease each other—these are just a few examples of how our cultural essence is transmitted through Spanish; but confidence in the language is a prerequisite to any of this.

So a part of my life has always been trying to learn about my culture and its language. Fortunately, many of my hobbies coincide with opportunities to learn.

For instance, I’m interested in cooking. I’m not a good cook, per se, but I can (usually!) follow a recipe and I get really excited about cooking because it’s a lot of fun. I was one of those kids who enjoyed playing with his food and cooking is arguably just that. So it’s been a lot of fun learning my grandma’s special recipes for tamales, beans, and the like.

I also really enjoy listening to music. To my friends’ discomfort, I like singing along to whatever I’m listening to (the discomfort is because I’m not a good singer) and I’ve found that I’m often most productive when I’m singing along to an old favorite. That’s not to say that productivity is everything, but what I mean is that music makes me happy, energetic, and focused. So when a friend introduced me to some música Latina a couple of years ago, I got hooked. I like pretty much anything sung in Spanish; I guess there are some rap exceptions, but as a general rule of thumb Latin music is awesome in my book. Actually, as I write this I’m listening to some Hombres G, but I’m also a big fan of Sin Bandera, Alex Ubago, and a few others…

I think I’ve gone a bit off-topic, but in closing, I’m grateful for the opportunities I’ve had to learn more about my culture, and optimistic that there will be many more. For instance, I’d like to live in Latin America sometime in the next few years; I’ve actually only been out of the country once (and it was Australia! and I was four!) and think that would be a much better way to learn than karaokeing Ricardo Arjona songs over my homework.

I’m also really grateful for the welcoming spirit of Latinos, who have embraced me as familia despite only being half-familia, like an awkward step-brother or something.

End of Summer

By Eletha Flores

In about three weeks I will return to campus for another semester of intensity and stress- the exact opposite of how you could describe life here in San Sebastian, Spain. I’m looking forward to being back with my friends and taking some interesting and more advanced classes as a junior, but what I would give to bring with my the easy-going attitude and focus on the quality of life that I’ve experienced for the last two months. I guess that’s not an uncommon feeling for students in general looking apprehensively at the last few weeks of summer and toward the start of classes. It happens. Work´s been fun, though. Like I said before, we’re developing a prototype for stroke rehabilitation. I’d never seriously considered being a doctor or health sciences even though (or maybe because) my dad had really encouraged us to study medicine. But now I’m a lot more in touch with the value that research and development engineering can have when it’s applied to improving personal health. Working in robotics is way awesome already so adding in the value of improving lives just makes it one of the best jobs ever, at least to me. But sometimes the debugging and frustration with getting your wireless communication between the device and your computer can really be a pain. Then again, the struggles make you learn more about the technology you’re dealing with. And when someone comes up to you later with the same problem and you’re able to explain it, it feels pretty good. Before getting to Spain, I knew next to nothing about Linux. Sure, there’s the Athena system at MIT, but I’ve been mostly a Windows fan. Getting a new laptop in the future? Try Linux. It’s hardcore. Or partition your hard drive and put both on it. Come on, I dare you.

The work day after June 28 shortened from 8 am to 5 pm with a break in the middle to 8 am to 2 pm for “el horario intensivo” so that employees can go out and take advantage of this two month season of sun. Most of the year is rainy and grey. So it turns out there’s a lot of time to do stuff here. Stuff like rock climbing, which I’ve gotten really into. I live with another MIT intern and he’s picked up surfing. There’s also been a lot of time to reflect on the current direction my life is taking: where I’m going, what my goals are, how is next semester going to play out, etc. I’m definitely going to keep up the healthier lifestyle as much as I can and continue to do rock climbing at school. But also, I’ve found myself in need of some ideas and ways to be creative. I’ve decided to surround myself with others who are generating ideas so we can bounce them off each other. I realized that academics are one thing, but how much value they have emotionally, spiritually, physically has got to be questioned. That’s why it good to have something you’re passionate about in your life. If you feel like you’ve also looked at public education in a sceptical way, look up TED talks online, particularly the talk about how public school systems are educating people out of creativity for a fresh perspective. A good friend of mine introduced me to this site that shows clips of people sharing their ideas with the world. Thanks, Aaron! I am definitely in favour of talking about deep stuff like this- it’s what matters in life. I’ll tell anyone who will listen that one day I’m going to be a motivational speaker even though I have no idea how that’s supposed to happen. Maybe it has already started. Right here as I’m speaking to you. I’m not exactly speaking, but it’s legit. That reminds me of something I read in a personal testimony once. I don’t remember what the topic was, all I remember is this one sentence: “My life turned around once I started believing in myself.” I know this may seem like a no-brainer, but do we really believe in ourselves? And how well does this belief hold on in the face of crappy circumstances and unexpected, usually urgent, issues that always come up in our lives? That’s a solid starting point if you’re uncertain about your future and how you’re supposed to survive and thrive through school, work, and life to get there.

Ted talks, how school kills creativity educating ourselves out of creativity

Surrounding yourself with good people

Stuff I'm gonna change for next semester, maybe mention the classes I'm gonna take

How do you pay for a college education? Easy. You don’t.

By Grecia Gonzalez

One of the things I find amazing about college is that for some reason there is some grand misconception that it is very expensive and beyond the means of your mid to low income person. I have to say this isn’t true. Money for college is up for grabs at virtually every level of government, private sector, and schools.

In terms of government aid, you automatically apply when you fill out your FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). Depending on your or family’s income, you receive government aid potentially in the thousands and your eventual school of choice is informed of the rest of the money that they should help you out in getting, either in terms of school grants (money you never have to return) or loans (money you eventually pay back, though usually with low interest and usually not until you graduate).

The private sector is also your friend. There are thousands of organizations that have money for students of all types of backgrounds and abilities and they’re just dying to give it away in the form of scholarships. An obvious example of this would be the Hispanic Heritage Foundation, but it isn’t the only one. Quite honestly there’s a scholarship for any person so long as they can apply. If you don’t believe me, go to FastWEB.com, a scholarship search engine that personalizes its vast catalog of scholarships just for you when you sign up (which I encourage you to do since it’s very effective, very attentive, and, most importantly, free).

Finally, contrary to popular belief, most schools are really great about giving you money if you demonstrate financial need or academic merit. When people first found out I was going to Harvard, the first thing out of their mouths after the obligatory, “Congratulations!” tended to be, “Wow. That must be expensive. How are you going to pay?” Half absolutely could not believe that Harvard was admitting me for free. How? Harvard, like most schools in the Ivy League, has established a huge financial aid initiative that makes getting an “Ivy education” not only affordable but sometimes even more convenient than most state schools. This isn’t to say state schools are expensive. In fact, they’re very affordable. Since they’re subsidized by their respective state governments, they usually only cost half of regular tuition to state residents and they usually throw in some state grants into your final financial aid packet.

Deciding not to further your education is a very serious decision that involves a lot of different factors, but one of them should never be money. If you really want to go to college, do it. Do your FAFSA, look up scholarships, and start deciding what kind of school fits you and your needs (i.e. private or public?). Also, never forget to seek out help if you need it. Rest assured there is bound to be a counselor at your school dying for you to ask about college and how you can get there.

MY CHURCH AND MY HARMONIA CHOIR FAMILY!!!! by Shelbie Bruce

I’m proud to announce that my church “Our Lady of Lourdes” is celebrating its 50^th Anniversary of service to the community. We will have many events in remembrance of 50 wonderful years.

When my family and I moved to LA about 7 years ago, one of our first priorities was to find a church. Little did we know, the incredible church God had in store for us. There where two small needs we prayed to God for though: First, to be able to find a church that allowed children in its choir, since my brother and I love to sing and second, my mother wanted a church that had afternoon services. Well, we knew that God had a sense of humor, when after a few weeks of searching for the right church, my dad found us “Our Lady of Lourdes”. The only church in the area that its choir “only” sang on Sundays at the 5:30pm mass. Was that God or what!!!

Many churches have choirs and very good ones, but, believe me when I say to you, that the choir at my church is not your typical choir. Our choir’s name is HARMONIA. They are the reason why I wanted to share this story with you all. Our church is big on giving, fellowship, community, sharing etc… Harmonia is composed of about 50 members, give or take a few. We have members who play instruments including our instructor, Mary Janus; we also have members from ages 6 all the way to 80. We welcome all who love to sing, clap and are willing to give one hour of practice, just before mass starts; that is all. One of the highlights of Harmonia is an event that is called “Harmonia Under The Stars”. This year, being our churches’ 50^th Anniversary, our event was bigger than ever and it was named “CineMagic”, to give tribute to the movies. We are in Hollywood after all. All of us including my brother Robby got to participate in singing, dancing etc… It was a MAGICAL EVENING as the name says it. The unity of the community and the love we felt from all who attended, made all of us feel like true stars. I can’t stop thinking about it!!! If I may do so, I would like to thank my parents for the support they gave my brother and I throughout the two months of rehearsals, but, most of all to our instructor, MARY JANUS, for being who she is. Instructors like her are rare; she is full of passion, love and joy, not only for the music but for our number one team member, God. She injects us with all of who she is every day, through prayer, e-mails, practice and daily interaction.

Now, to my surprise, some of my fans posted this link on Youtube and I felt the need share it with you all and to also thank them for their support. I’m humbled and blessed to have fans/friends like them. This is one of the songs I sang at the “Harmonia Under The Stars, Cinemagic”. I hope you like it!!!!

Somewhere Over The Rainbow by Shelbie Bruce:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9l1ONsArGA

Celebrities' Goodwill Influence by Carolina Peña

This past weekend I had an unexpected opportunity to sneak "backstage" at the Organization of American States (OAS) and interview one of Ecuador's rising pop stars: Juan Fernando Velasco.

His ballads have enamored thousands, not only in his native country but also in Colombia, Panama, Guatemala and Costa Rica. He is soon to release his third CD out of Miami after sharing the stage in March with Juanes, Juan Luis Guerra, Carlos Vives and others at the "Paz Sin Fronteras" peace concert in the jungle between the Venezuela-Colombian border. He was joined by Juanes to sing "Yo Naci Aqui", a hit song and the inspiration for his foundation. You can watch them perform the song below: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDAC3b5oJH4

In an interview after his concert at the 2nd Annual Ecuadorian Cultural Festival he shared about his new foundation "Yo Naci Aqui" which seeks to build national identity and pride among Ecuadorians at home and abroad.

"We are trying to build a new mentality in regards to the meaning of sovereignty in our country. In order to make it our own, we need to fight in an optimistic manner, with solidarity and democracy," said Velasco.

But for him, it's just the beginning. We have seen a rise of young but established artists in Latin America who've sought to carry their influence from the stage over to the poorest pueblos. Juanes and Shakira both benefit Colombia with their own visions through Fundacion Mi Sangre and Fundacion Piez Descalzos and have come together recently in peace marches and concerts to demand the liberation of all hostages held by Colombian rebel groups.

Miguel Bose, Carlos Vives, Ricardo Montaner, Juan Luis Guerra, Juanes, Alejandro Sanz

Nonetheless, as big a fan that I am with all these artists, the real question to ask is: after all the photo-ops and publicity is over, who is really investing in the future, in peace efforts, in education? It's very easy to join a concert and help with words. But the real help is done through money and action. ...Just a thought...take things, all things, with a grain of salt! En otras palabras...no creas todo lo que ves.

World News

Bolivia's Morales hails poll win



Bolivia's President Evo Morales addresses his supporters
Bolivia's President Evo Morales has claimed victory in a referendum on whether he should continue in power.

Unofficial results gave Mr Morales a convincing win, and he promised to continue his reforms, including the nationalisation of key industries.
Four of six opposition governors, who have led protests against the president and are demanding more autonomy, also won the right to stay in office.
The outcome of the vote is likely to leave Bolivia divided, analysts say.
Both sides were quick to interpret the result as a validation of their position.
"What the Bolivian people have expressed with their votes today is the consolidation of change," Mr Morales told thousands of cheering supporters in La Paz.
"We're here to move forward with the recovery of our natural resources, the consolidation of nationalisation, and the state takeover of companies," he told the crowd from the balcony of the presidential palace.

Santa Cruz's Ruben Costas said the outcome was a defeat for Mr Morales
The president congratulated the opposition governors who were re-confirmed in their posts and urged them "to work together" with him.

To read more go to: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7551994.stm

2007 Youth Award Recipient Keone Hon Blogs for HHF

First Post

Hello! My name is Keone, and I’m really excited to be a guest blogger for the Hispanic Heritage Foundation.

I’m a rising sophomore at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston, MA, where I’m studying Electrical Engineering & Computer Science (EECS), just like Eletha, who blogged here a bit earlier. (I see Eletha around MIT a lot, as we lived in the same dorm this year, and we were both recipients of the HHF’s youth award in the engineering & mathematics category—her in 2006 and I in 2007.)

I grew up in California and Nevada and spent most of my high school at Phillips Exeter Academy, a boarding school in Exeter, NH, that is nothing like the stereotypes you’ve heard about prep schools. (Okay…I guess it’s true that the buildings are old and the classes are tough…but the people are really nice!)

Around MIT, I’m busy with classes in computer science, math, and Arabic, a language I took up two years ago on a whim. I also involved in MIT’s student government, mostly through my service as president of the Association of Student Activities, the governing body for MIT student clubs. I also help with the Harvard-MIT Math Tournament, an annual math contest for high schoolers, and this year I’m co-coordinating an orientation program for incoming freshmen who are interested in EECS. Next year I’m also hoping to join the MIT Ultimate Frisbee team. I’m also in a fraternity.

This summer I’m working at the Broad Institute, which is a joint program of MIT and Harvard designed to develop new technologies (particularly in genomics) to be used in medicine. More specifically, I work on automated cell image analysis in the Imaging Platform, which is one of the divisions of the Broad (as it’s commonly referred to; by the way, it’s pronounced as if it rhymes with “road” or “’toad”). I’ll probably write more about my project in another entry, but for now, let me say that I love my work.

Outside of work, I serve as a counselor for the Research Science Institute (RSI), a summer program for rising high school seniors who stay at MIT and do research in MIT and Boston-area labs in the “STEM” subjects (science, technology, engineering, and math). Actually, I guess I should say “I served” because I’m sad to report that the program concluded at the beginning of August. It was a lot of fun and I miss the kids a lot; the fact that I’m writing now might have something to do with being sad about missing them.

That’s pretty much all for now, but like I said, I’ll be elaborating on different portions of my life and this summer in the coming entries. Thanks for reading, and stay tuned.

Family is Everything to Me by Shelbie Bruce

Two of my passions in my life are: God and Family. Unfortunately, I’m sad to say that not many people feel the joy that I feel about admitting or even acknowledging the pride that I feel when speaking up about those two topics. Well I’m here to tell you that YOU ROCK IF YOU SHARE MY SAME FEELINGS!!!!!

My first passion is my God. Without Him, I’m NOBODY. I am who I am and my talents come from HIM. Now, this time I want to talk about a very special person of my team/family and yes, that includes my little brother Robby Bruce, reason why I’m writing this Blog today. You all may not know this, but, he is also an actor and a very good one, if I may say so. Well, before I get ahead on myself, I need to tell you a very important fact about Robby. He has sacrificed many hours of play time and friend time to support my acting career and this is why I felt the need to not only praise him and thank him, but to share some very exiting news about HIS career. Robby Bruce MY BROTHER just finished filming two movies, the first one is called “EL TUX” and the second one is called “FORGET ME NOT”. The first one “El Tux”, is a short film directed by Director Paco Farias who happened to be this year’s New York Latin Film Festival winner. The biggest blessing for the two of us is that we both got to work on it. Can you believe it!!!! Look for it on HBO during September, Hispanic Heritage Month, OK. Now the second one, “Forget Me Not” is an independent feature film and we don’t have much information on when it airs, but, I will for sure keep you all posted.

For those of you who feel that bragging about your family is not cool, I tell you, your family is and will always be the only friends who will never stop loving you and come to think of it, YOU ARE WHO YOU ARE BECAUSE OF YOUR FAMILY, reason why I feel the need to start a new trend, the trend of BEING COOL FOR BRAGGING ABOUT YOUR FAMILY!!!!! Please send me notes and tell me about your proud family moments, OK. You can send them here to the Hispanic Heritage Blog or you can send them to my site http://www.shelbiebruce.com/
God bless!!!!! Here are some pictures and a couple of links where you can read more about “El Tux” and “Forget Me Not”… Enjoy!!!!!

Links:

El Tux

Forget Me Not

Pictures:

Robby Bruce with crutches on set filming El Tux

Shelbie Bruce and Harvey Guillen on set of El Tux

Bruce and Director Paco Farias, center, along with other cast members.

La Vida At Our College: Reflections Of A Harvard Other by Alejandro Gac-Artigas

Alejandro Gac-Artigas is a 2005 Youth Award Recipient who is currently pursuing a degree in Social Studies at Harvard University. In this article he gives an insight into his life as a college student.

“I think to the calling of HUPD at the sight of black student groups hosting an event on the Quad lawn, and wonder how welcome racial manifestations are when there are no schedules, no tickets, and no audience?"

Hello. My name is Alejandro Gac-Artigas. It’s a funny name, one that had terrorized many a substitute teacher calling roll throughout elementary school.

Olijondro? Alahandro? Ali…Aluh…A.. I rescue them with an interrupting “Present,” knowing the matter would be resolved no sooner than a blind man playing pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey.

The uncomfortable dance around my name’s 21 letters began the very day I arrived at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, as a customs officer scrutinized my family’s passports. Carrying only the boxes we could carry and armed with one-way tickets, I suppose we were worth a second look. I had come to a place where a name I had shared with countless faces in Puerto Rico had become an eyesore, a hassle, a menace.

The flimsy front door of our rundown apartment separated this new world from the fading memory of home we preserved inside; the sounds of r’s rolling, the smells of arroz con gandules cooking, the warmth of a family from an island where family means everything. I knew that when I left this world for school every morning, “Alejandro” would not sound the same for a very long time. And I learned to deal with that.

Better and better each time, learning to intercept each substitute teacher as soon as he or she paused at the sight of my name. Always waiting a hopeful but ephemeral moment, I learned to recognize the discomfort in their eyes and quickly saved them the trouble. Present.

And then the strangest thing happened.

Alejandro?

Ah-le-han-drro?

The substitute teacher looked me directly in the eye, and pronounced my name correctly. While his accent betrayed his Anglophone identity, the fact of the matter was that every syllable he uttered challenged any pronunciation of those 9 letters suggested by the conventions of English.

As quickly as he had read the previous name, he read mine. The word “present” remained caught in my throat. Like a cat ready to pounce only to find that its prey had vanished, my words sunk clumsily in this unfamiliar situation. The teacher looked at me, knowing well by the color of my skin that I was the only kid in the room who could claim ownership to that name. I raised my hand to signal the words that could not escape my perplexed lips, and without hesitation the substitute teacher moved on to the next name. Brian Matthews.

To read more go to: La Vida At our College

Hispanic Youth Symposium

The Hispanic Youth Symposium is a program created by the Hispanic College Fund to encourage high school students to continue with their college education. I had the privilege to volunteer for the program here in DC and it was truly an inspiring experience. The program is currently taking place on the West and East Coast so make sure to check the dates of when the symposium starts and where.

Here is more information about the program:



Join the Hispanic College Fund for a life-changing event! For four days and three nights the Hispanic Youth Symposium brings approximately 200 Hispanic students to a local college campus for a three-night, four-day program to change the way students think about their futures in college and career.

The agenda for the program is filled with exciting and moving classes, workshops, and networking opportunities. By the end of the program, students who participate in the Hispanic Youth Symposium will have:

• Confidence in their ability to achieve a college education and professional career.
• A clear understanding of the necessary steps for college application and financial aid.
• A network of mentors and role models from the business community.
• A comfort level/familiarity with life on a college campus.
• A network of like-minded peers who also want to achieve a college education and professional career.
• An understanding of the importance of community service.
• An understanding of career options in the business, science, technology, engineering, and math arenas.

For more information go to: Hispanic Youth Symposium

Foundation News

San Francisco Mayor to Introduce LOFT Members to Bay-area Businesses

As part of an ongoing effort to improve the business community, bolster San Francisco’s economy and augment the development of the workforce, the city is joining the Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF) to introduce top emerging Latino professionals to businesses in the San Francisco Bay area. By leveraging HHF’s LOFT (Latinos on Fast Track) program, which boasts top Latino students and recent grads, the city hopes to help place the talented young leaders in the workforce on a management track.

The vision of the program is to bring top talent to the city and connect the workforce pool directly to businesses. In collaboration with HHF, San Francisco is hosting 150 young leaders who are interested in the fields of: science, technology, engineering, business, finance, environmental, policy, math, and other disciplines. After the event, the LOFT team will work in concert with diversity or recruitment teams to follow up and secure the students for full-time positions within their organization

To read more visit: Hispanicheritage.org

HHF Intern Vika Tsoy shows her creative side with "The Girl in Pink Dress"

Most of you are probably familiar with flamenco, salsa and other types of traditional Spanish dances, and I am sure many of you know how to dance! Unfortunately I never learned how to, and the best I can do to show my appreciation to the culture is to draw them. Therefore, being influenced by vibrant colors, strong movements and the general beauty of the dance, I wanted to illustrate whatever I had in mind.

Before I started drawing “The Girl in Pink Dress” I made some research on traditional southern Spanish folklore. First I looked at a lot of references (books, magazines, etc), I also watched videos of Spanish dancers, and did some sketches of various Spanish dresses. As soon as the final sketch was done, I experimented with different color combinations and patterns in order to make the dress look like a real Flamenco dress! I was really proud of the final product. I hope you guys like it as much I do.

That’s all for now! Feel free to email me vika@hispanicheritage.org and share your
opinions about the illustration. Thanks!

Past National Youth Awardee Eletha Flores shares her current projects with HHF

This would be my first official blogging gig and I’m proud to say my fame and fortune as a blogging artist started with the Hispanic Heritage Foundation. No, but seriously, I’m glad to have this opportunity to share my experiences as a past National Youth Awardee in Math and Engineering and hopefully I can help other young people get excited about what this organization has to offer. So, a little bit about myself: I was borne in North Carolina, lived in Louisiana, but my permanent residence in now in the DC metropolitan area in Prince George’s county Maryland. I just turned 20 years old and I have two years left at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where I’m studying towards a Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science with a minor in Applied International Studies, with a focus in the Spanish language and Latin America. This summer, I am renting out a room in a flat in San Sebastian-Donostia, Spain and interning at Fatronik, an international research and development company. I’ll be back at MIT August 31 but I am not particularly looking forward to ending my first three months in Europe. At Fatronik, I’m designing and building on a joystick and video game interface for post-stroke rehabilitation for elderly individuals. The company is small and while there is a good mix of international employees of all ages and backgrounds, I am still the only female in my division which is Biorobotica. Latina engineers, scientists, and related professions in the technical fields: we have to represent! America is not producing enough engineers and scientists on a relative scale compared with other countries. We thus have this opportunity to strengthen our country’s innovation potential. Let your younger siblings and cousins know what’s hot about math and science, and we’ll be that much more powerful as a nation!

I think one of the problems with attracting kids my age and younger into these fields is the perceptions of what kind of career a typical engineer or scientist might have. I mean, of course there are Microsoft and other big name corporations where you will probably start at one level and work your way up the corporate ladder over the course of your career. And yes, said career can include lots of office work, perhaps working long hours in front of the computer. I mean, now that I am thinking about it more and more as I intern and plan for after school, I really don’t want that kind of career. I want to design, create, build mostly in robotics or energy-related fields, but at the same time, you couldn’t hold me down to a chair and isolate me inside a cubicle only to stare fixedly at a computer screen for forty years of my working life if you paid me- a lot. I guess it will be a different story when I weigh my student loans against my means of repaying them (but that’s where scholarships from the HHF can help out too!). Several of my friends also share this same kind of fear of a monotonous and sedentary (or lonely, cold, and dark? Well, it probably isn´t that bad) day job. Maybe kids in high school are forming this kind of image in their mind and thus deciding against technical fields. In these past few years studying engineering, I realized the education part has a lot to do with gaining tools and a way of thinking, but once I have these tools, I want to help people improve their lives. Whether that means designing more energy efficient infrastructure for communities or helping people regain arm function after a stroke, I’m up for making a difference and empowering others. So I plan to start with either research or work in a start-up company that involves a lot of field work, getting out there and talking with people first hand about the problems with their current situations so I can make design decisions based on what’s really important to people, and not just functionally, but psychologically and emotionally as well. That’s where the art of engineering is: considering the culture, age, interests and abilities of people as priorities in design instead of side features. I learned a lot about this from interning at Fatronik. I’ll write a little more about the company and my travels later; I probably should try and get some sleep before I show up to work tomorrow.

Laters,
Eletha

Artist in the Spotlight: Oswaldo Guayasamin

Oswaldo was born in Quito, the capital of Ecuador, on July 6, 1919. He graduated from the School of Fine Art in Quito as painter and sculptor. He carried out his first exhibit when he was 23, in 1942. He achieved in his youth all National Awards, and was credited, in 1952, at the age of 33, the Grand Award of the Biennial of Spain and later the Grand Award of the Biennial of Sao Paulo. His last exhibits were personally inaugurated in the Palace Museum of Luxemberg in Paris, and in the Museo Palais de Glace in Buenos Aires, in 1995. painnd later the Grand

He died on March 10, 99, when he was 79 years old.

His work has been shown in museums in all capitals of America and in many countries in Europe, for example, in Leningrade (L'Ermitage), Moscow, Prague, Rome, Madrid, Barcelona, and Warsaw. He carried out 180 individual exhibits, and his production was fruitful in paintings, murals, sculptures and monuments. He has murals in Quito (Government and Legislative Palaces; Central University; Provincial Council); Madrid (Barajas airport); Paris (UNESCO headquarters); Sao Paulo (Latin American Parliament). In his monuments "A la Patria Joven" (To the Young Country) (Guayaquil, Ecuador); "A la Resistencia" (To the Resistence) (Rumiñahui) in Quito.

To see more of his work visit: http://www.guayasamin.com/pages_ing/index.html

Shelbie Bruce shares her current projects with HHF

Hope everyone is having a FANTASTIC Summer!!!

I’m so blessed to be able to share with you a very exiting project that both my brother Robby and I were able to work on together for the first time. We just filmed a short film called “El Tux”. This screen play won the New York Latin Film Festival. It was written and directed by Paco Farias, based on his life. It will show on HBO during the month of September, which is Hispanic Heritage Month and will also be featured at the beginning of each film at the July 22nd New York Latin Film Festival. We hope you like it!!! The message of the film will hopefully touch your life in a way that you’ll see people for who they are, not for what they have.

God bless you all and never stop dreaming!!!

Visit: Shelbie Bruce Official Website

Michael Monroy Wins National Contest

Short Biography:

• Michael Monrroy, age 18, of Sterling, Virginia.
• Born in Arlington, Virginia.
• Parents from Bolivia and Colombia.
• Former graduate of Park View High School, in Sterling Park, Loudoun County
• Former Hispanic Heritage Foundation Youth Award Winner for the Washington DC area.
• Current undergraduate sophomore at the American University in Washington DC.
• Majoring in political science and business.
• Aspires to one day run for Congress and the U.S. Senate.

The Major News:

I have won the SiTV presents Crash the Parties with Voto Latino national contest! Yesterday, I was in Washington DC all day. In the morning, I received professional press training, and was mentored by CNN's famous anchor Rick Sanchez, and later in the day, I was honored in a ceremony on Capitol Hill where I was introduced by actress Rosario Dawson to a packed room full of media, congressman, political celebrities, and people who supported me in this contest.I gave an acceptance speech, was interviewed by the Washington Post, CNN, Roll Call and various other media outlets.In addition, CNN is flying me out to their studio headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia for a whole day.Also, SiTV is currently shooting a documentary about the contest. A camera man from SiTV followed me around all day today as I took him to places around DC including American University and the Capitol.Also, check out Rosario Dawson mentioning my name on MSNBC on the Morning Joe show:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/25812934#25812934

Keep checking in with the crashtheparties08 website and see my report from the Republican National Convention and more in the coming days! http://www.crashtheparties08.com/#poll

THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT AND VOTES, THIS WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT YOU!!!!
-Michael

“LITTLE MISS CEO” by Shelbie Bruce

Words will never do justice to the unbelievable news I’m about to tell you. Here is the true definition of “perseverance”. I just shot a Pilot Presentation that has been in the works for the past 3 years. Here again is another example of “WHERE THERE IS A WILL THERE IS A WAY”. I was approached by this team of writers and producers about a year after “Spanglish” with a script for a movie. The team allowed me to conduct the meeting in an office where I was asked to sit behind the desk as if I was a big shot. At the age of 13, I sure did. Well, I came prepared after reading the script, with very detailed comments about the likes and dislikes I had, of the movie. My parents, brother, agents and the movie’s writers, where all in there just listening. At the end of the meeting the writers thanked me for the meeting and as they were walking out, I guess in awe of my professionalism and preparation to not only being able to answer all their questions but, to give my input on the matter, an idea came to them. Three or four weeks later, my parents and I received a draft for a Pilot Idea called “Little Miss CEO”. We thought it was a very good idea, sent our comments and forgot about it, like you have to do in Hollywood. Earlier this year, almost three years after our initial meeting, to our surprise and shock, we heard from them again. They were not only ready with a full script but, they were also ready to shoot a Pilot Presentation.
Later on I will give you more details on the project. Right now, we are in post production and I’m not at liberty to say much, but, stay tuned for more, OK.

God bless you all and Dream Big!!!

Visit: Shelbie Bruce Official Website

Foundation News

Hispanic Heritage Awards October 9th
Jul 09, 2008

The 22nd Annual Hispanic Heritage Awards will be held October 9, 2008 at the Renaissance Hotel in Washington, D.C. Artists, celebrities, visionaries, community activists and business leaders will be honored at the event, which has come to be known as the most prestigious Hispanic honor and event in the United States.

“For 22 years, the Hispanic Heritage Foundation has recognized leadership, creativity and vision – attributes that continue to move our diverse and vibrant community forward,” said Dr. Pedro José (Joe) Greer, Jr., Chairman of the Board and a past Hispanic Heritage Awards Honoree. “We are proud to celebrate the best of America through our Honorees and inspire the next generation of leaders and role models through our year-round programs. October 9 promises to be a very special evening in Washington in the tradition of past celebrations.”

Last year’s Honorees included: Cong. Xavier Becerra (D-CA) and Cong. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) for Education; Actress and Activist Rosario Dawson for Vision; Seismologist Dr. Ines Cifuentes for Math and Science; Hall of Fame Baseball Legend Tony Perez for Sports; and the Cast of Love in the Time of Cholera for the Arts, which included Director Mike Newell and Actors Benjamin Bratt, John Leguizamo, Hector Elizondo, Javier Bardem, Ana Claudia Talancón, Oscar-Nominee Catalina Sandino Moreno, and Laura Harring. This year promises to be an even greater celebration.

Visit www.hispanicheritage.org

HHF Honors Leadership in Public & Private Sectors & Media

The Inspira Award was created to honor Latino leaders who inspire youth in the public and private sector, and in the media. Last year’s Inspira Awardee was Actor Wilmer Valderrama. Rep. Rubén Hinojosa and Exxon Mobil CEO and Chairman, Rex Tillerson were honored on Capitol Hill during the 11th Annual Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards in Washington, D.C., which also recognized more than 20 outstanding students from the region. CSI Miami Star Adam Rodriguez was honored with the Inspira Award at the 2008 National Youth Awards, held in Kansas City, MO, for serving as a role model to Latino youth in the public eye.

“The Inspira Award recognizes those who have taken a leadership role in breaking barriers and creating opportunities for Hispanic youth,” said Tijerino. “We commend Rex Tillerson for his vision in encouraging and facilitating young Latinos to focus on science, technology, math and engineering through our Youth Awards and countless other efforts including the National Math and Science Initiative. We applaud the lifetime of commitment of Rep. Hinojosa who is our champion from barrios to Capitol Hill on the issue of increasing educational opportunities for Latinos. And we thank Adam Rodriguez for being a positive role model, both on and off screen. These individuals are truly an inspiration.”

To read more: http://www.hispanicheritage.org/press_news.php?id=136

Introducing Shelbie Bruce

Hi Everyone!!!!

Welcome to my first blog. I’m Shelbie Bruce best know for my role as Cristina in the Movie “Spanglish”. I was 12 years old back then and have changed a bit since then. My goals and dreams have changed as I’m more aware of the world I live in. Reason why I felt the need to accept the great honor of being able to blog for you all. When I was younger my motivation for life, aside form God and my parents, was my acting. All I could think of was the next audition or job I was going to get or prepare for. After being invited to several charity events as a guest speaker, presenter, celebrity, etc…, I realized that acting was just the medium for a much bigger and exiting picture, a picture that would allow me to dream big and believe in myself so that I could motivate and inspire others to follow in my foot steps. I know I’m only 15 years old but, I can tell you that age should not restrict any one who wants to dream big.

Yes, I am an actress who has realized that acting is the venue to be able to touch other’s lives and hopefully you reading this blog will motivate you to “ALWAYS FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS”. I would like to close by sharing my favorite quote that my parents have always told my brother Robby and I. “WHERE THERE IS A WILL, THERE IS A WAY. JUST TRUST IN GOD AND BELIEVE IN YOURSELF”.

Visit: www.shelbiebruce.com

Hispanic Heritage Foundation and Staples Foundation for Learning Announce Continued Collaboration and Recognition of Teachers

Staples Foundation for Learning Demonstrates Ongoing Support of Educational Leaders Making a Difference in the Latino Community

WASHINGTON -- The Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF), a national non-profit organization that identifies, inspires, promotes and prepares Latino leaders in the community, classroom and workforce, today announced the renewal of a $100,000 grant from Staples Foundation for Learning (SFFL), a private foundation created by Staples, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPLS). This year, SFFL's support will fund the second annual Hispanic Heritage Teacher Award, an award that acknowledges influential teachers across the country for making a positive impact on the lives of Latino youth and inspiring students to reach their full potential even in the face of great challenges. Since 2006, SFFL has provided HHF with $200,000 in support of their Latino education programs.

To read more: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2008_July_9/ai_n27894383

Hispanics To Play Key Role in November Elections

July 14, 2008
David Squires

America's largest ethnic minority, the diverse Hispanic community, finds itself in an important strategic position for the 2008 presidential election. Voting as a unified bloc, the community can provide the swing votes that land hotly contested states -- and perhaps the White House -- into the hands of either the Democratic Party or the Republican Party.

Hispanic leaders say they want straight talk and details on issues key to Hispanic people from both presumptive nominees, Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain."For the first time, politicians are going to realize that what they say about the Hispanic community is very important," said Mavel Velasco, president of the Hispanic Leadership Forum, a nonprofit organization in Hampton Roads that brings together Hispanic leaders to exchange ideas and information. "I'm not saying Hispanics will vote as a bloc; they are not monolithic.

To read more: http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/news/2008/7/14/hispanics_look_to_play_key_role.htm

Foundation News

National Youth Awards Recipients Announced

The 2008 National Youth Awardees were selected from 10,000 applicants and more than 250 regional recipients from across the United States. Each National Youth Awards recipient will receive a total of $8,000 in educational grants, a laptop computer, and a trip to Washington, D.C. where they will be recognized on stage at the star-studded 22nd Annual Hispanic Heritage Awards in Washington, DC on October 9, 2008.

The National Hispanic Heritage Youth Award recipients in the seven categories are:

Academic Excellence: Marcus Andrew Garcia of Turlock, California – Turlock Christian High School, presented by the Sprint Foundation

Business: Yadira Torres of San Antonio, Texas - South San West Campus High School, sponsored by the National Society of Hispanic MBAs

Education: Raquel Goya of Phoenix, Arizona – Pinnacle High School, sponsored by Southwest Airlines, which is also the Official Airline of the Youth Awards

Engineering and Mathematics: Cynthia Reyna of Houston, Texas - Charles H. Milby High School, sponsored by ExxonMobil

Health and Science: Grecia Margarita Gonzalez of La Puente, California – Nogales High School, sponsored by AstraZeneca

Journalism: Albert Matthew Parisi-Esteves of Rochester, New York – Brighton High School, sponsored by NBC Universal/Telemundo

Leadership: Nicolas Esteban Mendoza of Alpine, California – Steele Canyon Charter High School, sponsored by Sallie Mae ,which is also the Official Student Loan Partner of the Youth Awards

Sports: Sara Louise Egozi of Miami, Florida – Dr. Michael M. Krop Senior High School, sponsored by SUBWAY® Restaurants

To read more visit: www.Hispanicheritage.org