Hispanic Heritage Month
UC Alumni Association Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month
The UC Alumni Association proudly joins with our Hispanic and Latino Bearcats to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15. The full UC success story cannot be told, and would not be so inspiring, without the great contributions of our Hispanic and Latino alumni and students.
This Hispanic Heritage Month, we are calling on alumni and friends to support the Rafael Rennella Memorial Scholarship. Rafael Rennella arrived in the U.S. from Argentina in 1979 and became a student leader at UC. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering in 1994 and founded the Hispanic Engineers group at the university. He also devoted himself to the Emerging Ethnic Engineers program and helped found Latinos en Acción. An asthma attack just a year after graduation cut short Rafael's life at age 26. To honor his memory, the scholarship fund was created by students, staff, faculty, alumni and his fellow Procter & Gamble employees. The scholarship rewards students for their leadership, passion and dedication in serving UC and the Greater Cincinnati Latino community.
Snapshots of Hispanic UC Excellence
These Bearcats constitute just a few of the countless alumni who continue to collectively write the Hispanic UC success story.
Bernardo Lopez, CCM ’11 is a practicing performer, composer, teaching artist, multi-instrumentalist and clinician. He is the Director of MYCincinnati, a tuition-free music education program for youth.
Cari Garriga, CAHS ’86 is a Professor of Spanish and Director of the Monsignor Cleves University Honors Program at Thomas More University. She serves as the Board chair of Covington Classical Academy.
Stephanie Finoti, A&S ’24 is a first-generation college student and the first Latina to win Miss Ohio.
Giselle Coleman-Martinez, A&S ’20 served as Latinx En Acción’s (LEA) volunteer coordinator spending hundreds of volunteer hours as a bilingual translator at parent-teacher conferences in local schools. She is now the Head Volleyball Coach at Trinity Washington University.
Andrew Gomez, Bus ’11 is the owner of Gomez Salsa with locations in Over-the-Rhine and Walnut Hills.
Javier Viaña, PhD, CEAS ’19, ’22 utilized artificial intelligence to improve the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport’s data tracker's prediction of longer lines and security issues.
Lisette Martinez, Bus ’96 is the Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer at Jefferson Health and Thomas Jefferson University. She was listed among Top Diversity Leaders in Healthcare in 2022 by Modern Healthcare.
Dr. Nelson Soto, PhD, Bus ’99, CECH ’00, was named as the President at Albizu University in San Juan, Puerto Rico in 2022.
Karen Olivo, CCM ’21 (They/Them) is a Tony award-winning Broadway performer and won CCM's Distinguished Alumni Award in 2022.
Felipe Morales-Torres, CCM ’12, ’20, won the 2022 CCM Young Alumni Award. He is an orchestral conductor and educator leading the Cincinnati Youth Orchestras and the Louisville Youth Orchestra.
Emilio Santos, DAAP ’17, is the owner of Cantina Agave restaurant in Cincinnati's Northside community. Photo/Paisley Stone via Cincinnati Magazine
Rafael de Acha, CCM ’70, arrived in the U.S. as a Cuban refugee in 1961. After attending CCM for opera and graduating in 1970, he has become an acclaimed theater director and producer for more than 30 years.
Judge Marilyn Zayas, Law ’97, became the first Latina to sit on Ohio’s Supreme Court in 2018.
Yulia Martinez, CEAS '23, is UC's current Student Body Vice President and first Latina UC Homecoming Queen.
Maria Bobrowski-Artola, A&S ’22, was a recipient of the 2022 Presidential Leadership Medal of Excellence.
Nominate a Bearcat
Nominate a Bearcat alumnus for a future heritage or awareness month alumni spotlight.
Make a Gift
Make a gift to the Rafael Rennella Memorial Scholarship fund to support and reward students for their leadership, passion and dedication in serving UC and the Greater Cincinnati community.
About UC Latino Alumni Network (UCLAN)
UCLAN is an affinity group focusing on the Latino alumni experience. If you identify as Latino or Hispanic, you’re already considered part of the network — all you need to do is get involved! Sign up for volunteer opportunities.
The UC Alumni Association exists to serve the University of Cincinnati and its 350,000+ alumni across the United States and throughout the world. Learn more about how to stay connected with your alma mater and get involved in more than 50 college-, interest- and location-based alumni networks, including the UC Latino Alumni Network.
Maurice Stewart, A&S '16
Director, Alumni Engagement, Inclusive Excellence