The Hispanic Achievers Awards celebrates leadership and excellence in the Hispanic community & provides college scholarships to Hispanic youth

The YMCA of Greater New York hosted the annual Hispanic Achievers Awards & Reception to celebrate and honor influential Hispanic corporate and civil leaders and trailblazers from across the boroughs. To date, the annual event has raised $100,000 to support and empower Hispanic youth to achieve their educational dreams, provide reliable childcare for working families, and strengthen community networks.

The 2024 honorees are Carolina Jannicelli, Head of Sales Strategy at JP Morgan; Mayra Linares-Garcia, Vice President of Public Affairs and Communications at Liberty Coca-Cola Beverages; Dr. Denise Nuñez, Pediatric Critical Care Specialist, Non-Profit Leader, and Advocate; and José Villafañe, Chief Executive Officer and CRO at Nueva Network.

“The YMCA of Greater New York is committed to empowering and elevating young New Yorkers through key initiatives like Hispanic Achievers,” said Sharon Greenberger, President and CEO of the YMCA of Greater New York. “We were proud to come together and honor the achievements of Hispanic community leaders while celebrating our extraordinary Rowe Scholars. We are grateful to Colgate-Palmolive for their ongoing partnership and excited by the opportunity to continue supporting students as they pursue their educational dreams.”

The Hispanic Achievers initiative also awards $2,500 scholarships every year to two outstanding young Hispanic students in Y Rowe Scholars, the YMCA’s premier college and career access program serving predominantly Hispanic and Black youth, many who are often the first in their families to attend college. This year’s scholarship recipients are Janessa Serra, SUNY Morrisville and Joanne Henry, SUNY Binghamton. New this year, the YMCA’s partner, Colgate-Palmolive, has committed to expanding the scholarship to become a multi-year grant so recipients will receive an additional $2,500 each towards their college tuition.

Since 2015, the Hispanic Achievers initiative has distributed $50,000 in financial scholarships supporting 21 students in attending college.