Celebrating Heritage
Comision presents Heritage Youth Awards
Four youths — David Joshua Romero, Jackelinne Castro Vasquez, Sirena Ruiz and Rafael Rogel — were honored Thursday night at the Comision Honorifica Mexicana Americana 16 de Septiembre Heritage Youth Awards held at the CHMA center.
The ceremony began with the Presentation of Colors and the National Anthems of both the American and Mexican flags. It was followed by the traditional “El Grito” by all those in attendance repeating “Viva Mexico” referring to the traditional “cry” Father Miguel Hidalgo
delivered on September 16, 1810 in the small town of Dolores, in Central Mexico. It commemorates the start of the Mexican War of Independence.
Xico Garza and Tino Reyes continued with an Aztec sage ceremonial prayer. Garza explained his prayer as he faced east, west, north and south, before looking up to the Heavens and finally ending with prayer
as he knelt to Mother Earth.
Lion’s Blackbelt Academy students entertained with a presentation of Taekwondo before the program continued with a homemade, traditional mole’ dinner while guests enjoyed Mexican music prior to the presentation of the awards by College of the Sequoias professor Octavio Barajas.
On hand to present a City of Porterville coin to each recipient were Mayor Monte Reyes and Vice Mayor Martha A. Flores.
Reyes thanked everyone and said it was an honor and privilege to be at the event.
“It is always a pleasure to recognize those who have achieved academically in the community,” Reyes said. “They are our future leaders of our area. They are supported and encouraged.”
Flores translated as Reyes continued to speak to the guests and recipients. Flores then also talked to what she called the “generation of younger youth” to never forget their families.
Reyes said he was presenting each recipient with a City Coin which recognizes the achievement of each one of them, and is given as a challenge to keep it going — working hard and being great leaders.
And with that, three of the recipients walked forward to receive the coin, the scholarship award and say a few words.
Castro, daughter of Maria Vazquez and Gaspar Castro, is a Monache High student and involved in several sports and carries a 4.02 GPA. She has worked in a paid internship with Climate Action for Pathways — creating promotional videos for the program to create awareness of climate change and showcase the work the program does to minimize
carbon emissions, as well as at the Sequoia Riverlands Trust, jobshadowing professional videographer Zach Green who was working on a new promotional video.
Ruiz is the daughter of Maria and Ramiro Ruiz, and a senior at Harmony Magnet Academy.
Rogel, son of Rafael Carlos Rogel and Laura Angelica Guadarrama, is also a senior at Harmony Magnet Academy, where he has been an active member of the student body for four years.
Romero, son of Lupe and Monica Romero, wasn’t present. He’s a Monache High student with a 3.9 grade point average. He has attended Woodville and Porterville schools since fourth grade and has been involved in the community through the MHS Multi-media and Technology Academy, and has volunteered, interned, and remains committed in the community.