CLEVELAND — Esperanza has granted more than $2M in scholarships to tens of thousands of Hispanic students across Northeast Ohio.
On Friday, Esperanza celebrated their 40th anniversary and held its 'Fiesta of Hope' event at the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel. 3News Anchor and Managing Editor Russ Mitchell served as the emcee.
Many of the students who receive scholarships through Esperanza have faced obstacles in life. Some are new to the United States and have language barriers, according to executive director Victor Ruiz.
"For us, being staff who've faced similar upbringings, to be able to understand where they're coming from and provide them with that additional support makes the difference," said Ruiz.
Esperanza's support made the difference for Emely Flores and Juan Sanchez, two scholarship recipients who've seen obstacles firsthand.
"I couldn't understand English," said Flores, who came to the United States at age 15. "I couldn't refer to my parents cause they couldn't understand anything either."
"I lost my scholarship," said Sanchez. "I wasn't ready for the rigor of college."
Sanchez is the first of his family to attend college, and graduated from The Ohio State University in May.
"I majored in industrial systems engineering, so a lot of my classes nobody looked like me," said Sanchez.
Today, Sanchez is part of the Management Rotation Program at Capital One in Virginia. Meanwhile, Flores is on the path towards graduating from Cleveland State University.
Flores told 3News she's since opened the doors to success for her siblings.
"Now that I have gone through all these things, now I can guide my siblings," said Flores.
Sanchez told 3News he's proud to be the first of his family to graduate, but knows he won't be the last.
"Being a trailblazer is very scary, but it's also so prideful because I'm doing it not just for my family, but people in my community," said Sanchez.
