33rd Anniversary Diamante Awards

1001 East Wooster Street,Bowling Green OH 43403

13 October, 2022

Description

History and Purpose Throughout the country, including Northwest Ohio, September 15 through October 15 is recognized as National Hispanic Heritage Month. To celebrate the profound and lasting influence that Latinos have on American history, values and culture, the Diamante (diamond in Spanish) Awards were founded in 1989 by IMAGE of Northwest Ohio, a local Latino advocacy group.  This year’s awards and scholarship event will take place on October 13, 2022 at the Bowen - Thompson Student Union Lenhart grand Ballroom on the campus of Bowling Green State University. The awards recognize individuals and organizations for their outstanding achievements and service to Latinos. The Diamante Awards also serve to raise scholarship funds for Latino youth who want to advance their education by attending a college or university in the region. In 2003, the Diamante Latino Scholars Campaign was announced at the awards celebration. This fundraising initiative was a one-of-a-kind collaboration between Bowling Green State University, Lourdes University, Owens Community College, and the University of Toledo. At the time, the four institutions agreed to raise funds collaboratively for Latino scholarships. The Scholars Campaign resulted in a number of endowed Latino scholarships at all four institutions. Each year, the institutions announce their scholarship recipients at the annual Diamante awards ceremony. Further, in 2016, the partner institutions agreed to have the Latino Alliance of Northwest Ohio, one of the leading Latino non-profit organizations in Toledo, to be the lead organization for the Diamante Awards moving forward. The primary reason that Latino students do not attend or finish college is lack of finances. With the growing Latino population, this forward thinking effort will help ensure that more Latinos are able to graduate from college and fully participate in our communities.