Hispanic Chamber awards two scholarships
November 14, 2008
At a dinner Thursday, the Hispanic Chamber awarded $1,000 scholarships to:
Graciela Contreras, a second-year student at Cincinnati State’s Midwest Culinary Institute. A resident of Mason, Ms. Contreras already holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration earned in Mexico. She is now pursuing a degree in the pastry arts program at the Midwest Culinary Institute as preparation for opening her own business.
Jaime O. Romero, a construction management major in Cincinnati State’s Center for Innovative Technologies. Romero holds a bachelor’s degree in architecture from his native Colombia, and since enrolling at Cincinnati State has gained co-op experience with the Cincinnati Recreation Commission. He resides in Finneytown.
According to Ruben Contreras, chairman of the Scholarship Committee of the Cincinnati USA Hispanic Chamber, criteria for the scholarship awards include academic achievement and a willingness to perform volunteer community service – both for the chamber during school and for Cincinnati State upon graduation. Contreras and Romero were recognized for their achievements and ceremonially awarded the scholarships during the Hispanic Chamber’s annual “Membership and Friends Celebration’’ held Thursday, Nov. 13 at the chamber’s offices in Hyde Park.
The Cincinnati Hispanic Chamber USA works closely with for-profit and non-profit businesses in the Greater Cincinnati area, along with the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber of Commerce and its state and national counterparts. Its goal is to expand business opportunities for Hispanic firms, serve as an advocate in the Hispanic business arena, promote trade with Latin America and other countries and provide a link to other Hispanic business organizations and firms.
The president of the chamber’s board is Alfonso Cornejo, head of AC & Consulting Associates.
About Cincinnati State
Cincinnati State offers more than 75 associate degree and 40 certificate programs in business technologies, health and public safety, engineering technologies, humanity and sciences and information technologies. About 8,150 students were enrolled in the early fall 2008 term; last year 14,000 separate students participated in credit and non-credit classes.
Cincinnati State has a 93% placement rate within three months of graduation, and its students have a 91% pass rate on required licensing and registry exams. It has the largest co-op program among two-year colleges in the U.S.
(Photo: Cincinnati State students Graciela Contreras (left) and Jamie Romero (center) received scholarships from the Cincinnati USA Hispanic Chamber. Two students at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College have been awarded scholarships by the Cincinnati USA Hispanic Chamber.)
