Youth Heritage recipients to be honored

Five local youth will be honored with a Youth Heritage Award during Comision Honorifica Mexicana Americana’s Annual 16th September Fiestas Patrias.

The festivities begin at 5 p.m. today at the CHMA Community and Conference Center with a no-host cultural exhibit and traditional mole dinner by Mestizo Grill.

In lieu of running a Queen Pageant, as they have in the past, the Comision is instituting a new tradition which will be one of the highlights of the event — acknowledging the Youth Heritage Award recipient. The award is offered to a young person in the community who stands out as a model of a future leader.

Winning the inaugural award is Milton Ramirez, 17, a senior at Granite Hills High School, and son of Artemio and Eva Ramirez.

Milton has won academic and department honors at GHHS, and was a Boys State alternate, and involved in Camp Royal, Camp Jamboree, Chicano Latino Youth Leadership Program Representative for San Joaquin Valley/Sacramento Institutes, and is in the top 10 of his graduating class with a 4.0 grade point average. He plans on attending a university and majoring in business or education.

Milton is involved with numerous community service clubs, including Wilderness Club, Rotary Club’s, WAPIS for Africa, Z-Club, Me CHA, Toys for Tots, Porterville Celebrates Reading, Day of the Dead Celebration, Las Posadas, and volunteers at Helping Hands Kitchen. When he is not studying or volunteering, he plays tennis, something he has done since his freshman year.

Taking second place is Selina Nicole Andrade, 17, a senior at Porterville High School. Daughter of Isabel Olmos, she is involved with the Porterville Panther Band, Mariachi Academy, Porterville Health Academy. She is also actively involved and volunteers for numerous community service projects.

Third place went to Cinthia Lopez, 19, daughter of Irma Zamora. Lopez is is involved in AVID, PHS Business Academy, is a teacher’s aide and a Sunday School teacher and has volunteered with several organizations.

Honorable mentions: Sandra Romero, 17, of Harmony Magnet Academy, and Jasmine Vasquez, 17, of Porterville High School, both earned honorable mentions.

The recipients will be honored during the celebration today at the CHMA Center, 466 E. Putnam.

Tickets are still available and cost $30 at the door for the dinner dance or $10 for the dance only. For more information, call Grace Munoz-Rios at 289-9381.