The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Mundo Hispanico honors ‘Personajes Destacados’
Tears, applause, Latin rhythms and a deep sense of Hispanic pride ruled MundoHispánico’s eighth annual ‘Personajes Destacados’ awards ceremony.
Each year, our newspaper recognizes men and women who are leaving their mark on the Hispanic community. These individuals, many of them unsung heroes, were the subjects of our stories. We wanted to honor them, because they serve as examples of the spirit of struggle and solidarity that unites our community.
During the ceremony, held at MundoHispánico’s parent company Cox Enterprises, we recognized the work and contributions of Pasa La Voz (in the category of activist); Los Niños Primero (organization); Lía Patricia Gallo (entrepreneur); Emma Salamanca (community service); La Amistad (education); Arelis Rivera (public service); Hispanic team members of Atlanta United (sports); Sergio Sandoval (student); Andrea Moreira (artist); Scott Pihera (friend to Hispanics); and the Hispanic construction workers who assisted with the rebuilding of I-85 (workers).
“It made me want to cry, I didn’t know what to do, I couldn’t believe it. I don’t feel worthy. I do it with my whole heart, it’s what God has called me to do,” said Gallo, who was honored for her work providing low cost treatments to more than 300 people at her dental practice GDC Smiles, in Gainesville.
“I’m very happy to have been able to achieve all of this, to follow a dream that began many years ago, to be able to come here and not only make my dream a reality, but also to motivate other students to keep going forward,” said Sandoval, an aerospace engineering student at Georgia Tech. He participated in building the first satellite that this university will send to space. He is also a fulltime employee of NASA.
In the category of community service, Salamanca was recognized for creating a knitting group, made up of children and their mothers. They make hats for young cancer patients who have lost their hair due to chemotherapy. Salamanca’s mission came about after a young mother in her church passed away from cancer.
“There are no words to explain how it feels to be recognized, especially when the recognition is because someone died and we were able to do something. It’s very sad, but we’re doing something to help children who suffer from this disease, and we’re going to do whatever we can to put a smile on those sad faces,” she explained.
“I feel very proud to help children with cancer, and when we go to the hospital [to distribute the hats], it’s going to bring me a lot of joy,” assured Natalia Morailes, a young girl who participated in the knitting project.
Wendy Corona, an anchor at WSB-TV, María Alejandra Bastidas, managing editor of MundoHispánico, and Daniel Viotto, digital content manager for MundoHispánico, presided as masters of ceremony.
“Part of MundoHispánico’s mission is to inform our community and tell the stories of people who are making a difference. It’s a privilege for us to tell the stories of people and organizations that support Latinos, and these awards are a recognition of that work,” explained Bastidas.