Children’s Hospital Los Angeles received the Community Service Award from LMU’s Latino Alumni Association in honor of its strong commitment to providing critical health care to underserved communities. The presentation took place at the group’s scholarship awards dinner on Thursday, November 13, at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels.
CHLA has been recognized as the best children’s hospital on the West Coast and among the top five in the country. CEO and President Richard Cordova is a longtime advocate for the Latino community, who has promoted physicians and hospital administrators of color and encouraged Latinos to enter the healthcare industry. In support of this commitment, Children’s Hospital donated $25,000 to LAA to provide scholarships for Latino students attending LMU.
The Los Angeles Galaxy Foundation is this year’s Corporate Honoree for Leadership in the Community. The foundation is a nonprofit operated by the four-time winner of the Major League Soccer Cup, and is being honored for helping youth through educational, health and sports based initiatives.
The Alumni Role Model Award was presented to Thomas Cervantez ’86. Cervantez is a successful lawyer in the Bay Area specializing in the field of finance, with a focus on helping emerging companies. As a first-generation college graduate, Cervantez understands the value of higher education and uses his story to encourage high school students to attend college.
Professor Emeritus of LMU, Graciela Limon ’65, Ph.D., was honored with a lifetime achievement award. Limon is the former chair of the Chicana/o Studies Department at LMU. She is also an author, an activist and the winner of the 1994 American Book Award.
Over the last 30 years, LMU’s Latino Alumni Association has awarded more than 1,400 scholarships totaling more than $3 million. In addition to tuition assistance, the program also provides mentorships and career development counseling.