On Nov. 12, the Gilbert and Jacki Cisneros Foundation became the recipient of a Community Service Award for their support of higher education. The foundation has donated millions of dollars in scholarships to Hispanic students in need of financial support.
LMU’s Latino Alumni Association (LAA) presented the award during the Scholarship Awards Dinner at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels.
Established in 2010, the foundation has partnered with the City of Pico Rivera to establish the Generation 1st Degree program in order to reach its goal of facilitating at least one degree in each household.
In addition, Sodexo Inc. & Affiliates was honored as this year’s Corporate Honoree for community leadership. Over the summer, LAA and Sodexo partnered together for their Annual Community BBQ to raise funds to support healthy eating and awareness of childhood hunger.
Maria Salinas, class of ’87, received the Alumni Role Model Award for her professional accomplishments and community involvement. Salinas, founder and president of Salinas Consulting, LLC, and her husband Raul were founders of the LMU LAA and created the Salinas Family Scholarship in partnership with LAA in 2014. For the past 34 years, LAA has awarded more than 1,600 scholarships totaling over $4 million.
