The Greater Tulsa Hispanic Affairs Commission celebrates Latinx Excellence in Education every year by awarding outstanding Hispanic scholars, community volunteers and workers in education certificates signed by the Mayor and the Commission Chair.
In his short life, Tomás Rivera experienced the extremes of human existence. His childhood and youth were spent in hard physical labor in migrant farm labor camps and he dedicated himself to the hard intellectual labor it took to rise to the top of his professions, the literary and the academic, battling discrimination along the way [...] Besides his dedication to hard work, Rivera was able to rise above humble beginnings and adversity, thanks to his dogged persistence. When he was told there were no English teaching jobs available in the school district, he understood the true message to be there were no English teaching jobs for Chicanos in spite of his BA in English. He went back...and got a master's degree in Spanish literature and a doctorate in romance languages... from the University of Oklahoma (and) accomplished a lifetime of firsts. [From The Chicano Movement by Sara Martínez, p. 44-46]
Rivera Ceremony history: In 2014 for the first time, we honored the following Latinx seniors from Tulsa and the surrounding area who had been selected as National Hispanic Merit Scholars:
Sophia Álvarez, Booker T. Washington HS
Valeria Coussa, Booker T. Washington HS
Nena Underwood, Broken Arrow HS
Daniela Rosales, Broken Arrow HS
Nicolás Sánchez, Broken Arrow HS
Victoria E. Navarette Crynes, Jenks HS
Octavio Serrano, Jenks HS
Kathryn Roberts, Bishop Kelly HS
Hugo Rivera, Bartlesville HS
Nicolás Salazar, Collinsville HS
Tomás Rivera honorees 2015:
Jared Gonzáles Booker T. Washington HS
Bryant Loney Booker T. Washington HS
Diana Rodríguez Booker T. Washington HS
Josué González Broken Arrow HS
Emily Gutiérrez Broken Arrow HS
José Huerta Duran Daniel Webster HS
Adriana Mendez East Central HS
Alfredo Velasco East Central HS
Rogelio Paredes Flores Edison Preparatory School
Mario Padilla Nathan Hale HS
Dalia de Lourdes Guerrero Nathan Hale HS
Sandra Guerra Memorial HS
Miguel Angel Ibarra Memorial HS
Antonio Rodríguez Méndez Will Rogers HS
Bianca Asucena Flores Will Rogers HS
College –
Miguel Becerra Oklahoma State University
Francisco Pérez Oklahoma State University
2016 Tomás Rivera Hispanic Scholars:
Aguirre-Durán, Daniel Bishop Kelly High School
Aguilar, Jennifer Union Public Schools
Alvarado, Yakelyn Lisbett Nathan Hale High School
Álvarez, Lena East Central High School
Ávalos Córdova, Alejandra Will Rogers College High School
Coronado-López, Indra Edison Preparatory School
Díaz Nuñez, Perla Central High School
Durán, Marlen Memorial High School
García, Moriaha Street School
García Martínez, Yaqueline Broken Arrow High School
Gutiérrez, Rocío Webster High School
Jiménez, Itzel McLain High School
Mendoza, Jared Memorial High School
Muñiz, Jacqueline McLain High School
Pérez Romero, Alejandro McLain High School
Puc, Jessica Booker T. Washington High School
Rodríguez-Santos, Brayan Will Rogers College High School
Rubio-Regalado, Carlos Ismael Booker T. Washington High School
Serrano-Piedra, Jennifer McLain High School
Tellez, Joe Nathan Hale High School
Zúñiga, Mike Central High School
2016 Tomás Rivera Community Volunteers and Workers in Education:
María Ochoa – parent volunteer at Owen Elementary
Stephen Bell – teacher, Nathan Hale High School
Iván Godínez Reyes – Dream Act Oklahoma volunteer at large
Vicki Silva – ESL teacher, Catholic Charities
Heraclio Rosales - Tulsa Honor Academy booster and board member
Amanda Peregrina – Tulsa Public Schools community-faculty liaison
Maricruz Bravo Aguilar de Pérez – parent volunteer, MacAuliffe Elementary
Isabel Genay, parent volunteer at Webster High School
Deana Keathley, ESL coordinator, YWCA
Elsie Urueta, Tulsa Honor Academy director
María Cristina Reinosa, community volunteer at San Miguel School
Irene González, community volunteer at San Miguel School
Álvaro González, community volunteer at San Miguel School
Lee Ann Macomber, mariachi program, Education Service Center
Juan Miret, Reading Partners
Margarita Vega-Treviño, Reading Partners
Isaac Rocha, Tulsa Honor Academy
2017 Tomás Rivera Hispanic Scholars:
Abraham Luévano
América Murillo Gallegos, Memorial HS, JROTC
Carlos Piedra Ramírez, Union HS
Christopher Ramírez, Booker T. Washington HS
Clare Bradshaw, Booker T. Washington HS
Clarissa Rodríguez, Memorial HS
Cynthia Murillo Gallegos, Memorial HS, JROTC
David Flores Portillo
Elisa Prieto Saavedra, Booker T. Washington HS
Frida Miranda, Booker T. Washington HS
Haydee Medellín Zaragoza, Central HS
Hayden Chávez, Booker T. Washington HS
Iziah Muñiz, Central HS
Juan Estrada, Will Rogers College HS
Lezly López, Union HS
Rosa Hernández Segura, Webster HS
Victoria Zermeño, Memorial HS
Marisol Martínez
2017 Tomás Rivera Community Volunteers and Workers in Education:
Esmeralda Molina, Union
Brian Watts, Union
William McAlister, Union
José Luis Aguilar, Union
Janeth Damián, Union
Anita Gennetay, Union
Dr. Lyda Wilbur, Tulsa Public Schools
Benjamin Peralta, Union
Mary Casto, Union
Jennifer Ochwo, Union
Emma Thadani, Union
Kathy Rubey, Jenks
Fatima Linares, Juntos
Christina Starzl Mendoza, COHO
Julio Rodríguez
Drew Diamond
Diana Rodríguez, Juntos
Erica Quick, Juntos
Hilda Lissonet, Juntos
Ana del Río, Juntos
Agustín García, Juntos
Margarita Carbajal, Juntos
Judith Barba, Juntos, YWCA
Padre José María Briones
Nilsa Hill, TPS
Emily Partridge
2018 Tomás Rivera Hispanic Scholars:
Beatriz Pérez, Booker T. Washington HS
Carolina Rubio Regalado, Booker T. Washington HS
Perla Maciel Adriano, Webster HS
Vanesa Macías, Booker T. Washington HS
Eylena Barbosa, Booker T. Washington HS
Jessica Bernal Díaz, Booker T. Washington HS
Alexis Carranza, Booker T. Washington HS
Victoria Cervantes, Booker T. Washington HS
Jalynne González, Booker T. Washington HS
Celerina Ponciano-Calles, Memorial HS
Evelin Ramírez, Memorial HS
Hector Saldívar, Booker T. Washington HS
Jamylet Martínez, Booker T. Washington HS
Stephanie Jiménez, Booker T. Washington HS
Aureana England, Central HS
Brian Valencia, Webster HS
Thomas Martínez, Bixby HS
Michaella Lobmeyer, Berryhill HS
María Pérez, East Central HS
Angela Castañeda, Liberty HS
Greysi Juárez, Nathan Hale HS
Karla Valencia, Nathan Hale HS
Alexis Daniel Rodríguez, Nathan Hale HS
2018 Tomás Rivera Volunteers and Workers in Education:
Alicia Keathley, the Church.at
Amairani Pérez-Chamu, OSU
Ana Spitalli, CIS
Esmeralda Laguna, KW ELT
Fidelia Gonzáles, TCCL
Julio Pérez, OSU
Kirsten Ethridge, TCCL
Lehabim Escoto, City of Tulsa
Luz Hernández, Union
Magaly Gómez, CSCS
María Inés Alcaráz, IBG
Maricarmen Mitchell, TPS
Michael Schooling, Cooper Elementary, TPS
Nicolette Dennis, TPS
Onelia Anzola, CIS
Omar Cisneros, Growing Together
