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Hispanic Heritage Month 2018
National Hispanic Heritage Month is from September 15 - October 15, 2018, and is when Hispanic and Latino Americans are recognized for their contributions to their heritage and culture. We are proud to honor individuals who have made a difference for Cambridge College, the Greater Boston area and the United States, as a whole. Such individuals include:
Dr. Vanessa Calderón-Rosado
Dr. Vanessa Calderón-Rosado (Hon. ’12) is the current CEO of Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción (IBA), the largest Latino-led non-profit organization in Greater Boston. In 2010, she was the first Hispanic woman to be appointed to the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. Dr. Calderon is featured on 2018’s edition of the 100 Most Influential People in Boston by Boston Magazine and is known for her dedication to improving the lives of Hispanics and all families across the city of Boston and the entire Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Octaviano Larrazolo
Born in 1859 in Allende, in the Mexican state of Chihuahua, Octaviano Larrazolo would go on to influence US thinking on Hispanic issues. Larrazolo came to Arizona in 1875 with Reverend J.B. Salpointe, who taught Larrazolo theology. Larrazolo taught in Tucson for a year before eventually settling in Las Vegas, New Mexico, and became involved with the state’s Democratic Party. Working his way up the political chain, Larrazolo was elected Governor of New Mexico in 1918. He was then elected to the Senate in 1928, becoming the first Hispanic to accomplish such a feat. Sadly, Larrazolo fell ill soon after taking office and died just six months into his term. But the unfortunate end didn’t prevent Octaviano Larrazolo from making his permanent mark on Hispanic and US history.
Rafael Toro
Rafael Toro (MEd ’85) is the face of our upcoming alumni spotlight campaign and a valued member of Boston’s Hispanic community, having begun his career in the office of former Mayor Kevin White. He currently serves as the Director of Public Relations at Goya Foods, where he has coordinated countless community improvement and charity efforts, including the Goya Foods Employee Scholarship Program and the MyPlate/ MiPlato initiative with First Lady Michelle Obama. He is also heading the national “Goya Gives” initiative to promote Goya’s environmental and social responsibility efforts. We are grateful for Mr. Toro’s dedication to Cambridge College as an active alumnus and for his service to Hispanic people across the world.
Inez Stewart
Inez Stewart (MEd, ’86) is the Senior Vice President of Human Resources for Johns Hopkins Medicine, where she focuses heavily on ensuring that diversity and inclusion are valued and deeply rooted in the organization’s culture. She has served on the boards of many Boston-based organizations, including the Boston Children’s Museum and Massachusetts Cultural Council, and previously served as Vice President and Chief HR Officer of Boston Children’s Hospital. We are proud to feature her in our National Hispanic Heritage Month series and even prouder to have her as an accomplished Cambridge College alumna and community member.
Yvonne Garcia
Yvonne Garcia (Hon. ’18) is one of America’s top Latina leaders and is the current Senior Vice President of Investment Manager Services & Global Head of Client Solutions at State Street in Boston. She holds countless leadership positions in Boston and at a national level, like serving as the current Chairwoman of the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA), the nation’s largest Hispanic Professional Group. She is a co-founding chair of Milagros para Niños at Boston Children’s Hospital, which has raised over 8 million dollars to help cover medical expenses for local, low-income Hispanic children. She is committed to assisting Latinos across Massachusetts and is a member of Governor Baker’s Latino Advisory Commission Board. Her long list of accomplishments and dedication to the city of Boston and America are exemplarily!
Dr. Ellen Ochoa
Dr. Ellen Ochoa is a pioneer on an international level. She was selected by NASA as the first Hispanic woman in the world to go to space aboard the Discovery shuttle mission in 1993. Dr. Ochoa serves as the current Director of the Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX, where she is the center’s first Hispanic director and its second female director. She won the Distinguished Service Medal, NASA’s highest award, and has been recognized as a leader for American youth, with six public schools nationwide being named after her.
Alberto Vasallo, Jr.
Alberto Vasallo, Jr. (Hon., ’15) is considered one of the Latino community of New England's most recognized and respected pioneers. A true trailblazer in many fields and proud native of Havana, Cuba, Vasallo is most readily renowned as an industry leader in the Latino media and entertainment worlds. He is founder and publisher of El Mundo Newspaper, the area's oldest and most established Latino publication, and has also had an extensive and accomplished career in Spanish-language radio and as a large scale entertainment promoter. Mr. Vasallo has been a founding member of many Latino non-profits and has forged an indelible legacy in the Latino small business community. His accomplishments have been recognized locally and nationally as his name and lifework have become synonymous with the city of Boston.
