Ithaca College News April 27, 1998

Four Students Earn La Fuerza Honors

Carly Fox '98, Denise Gonzalez '98, Phil Mendoza '98, and Tamara Ochoa '98 have been named recipients of the 1998 La Fuerza Award, given annually to Ithaca College students who have made outstanding contributions to society by promoting racial harmony through personal example and respect for racial and ethnic differences.

The Spanish term "la fuerza" signifies outer strength as well as inner perseverance and vision. While the award winners represent a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds, their common heritage is the demonstration of leadership within a pluralistic society. Here is a look at each winner:

A sociology major, Fox is a dean's list student and a member of the Oracle honor society. She spent one semester studying abroad in Nicaragua and is the founder of Estalla (Ithaca's counterpart to Cornell's Committee on U.S.-Latin Relations). Fox has been instrumental in educating and motivating the campus community about human rights issues in Latin America, even facing arrest for civil disobedience while protesting the School of the Americas at Fort Benning, Georgia. She has also lobbied for farmworker rights, particularly addressing the living conditions of regional migrant workers. Secretary of the Diversity Awareness Committee, Fox has been an active member of Orgullo Latino, Sociedad Latina, and the Latino Education Coalition.

Gonzalez, a journalism major at the Roy H. Park School of Communications, has minors in both Spanish and politics and a concentration in broadcasting. She spent last spring in Los Angeles as a participant in the College's communications internship program.

Inducted into "Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges," Gonzalez was previously chosen as an Emerson intern, awarded both Philip Dougherty Minority Journalism and Class of '85 scholarships, and named to the Sigma Delta Pi (Spanish) honor society. Gonzalez was selected as a delegate to the Harvard Model United Nations, where she served as a representative on the Legal Committee. She has also worked as a reporter and anchor for Newswatch 54, a program on ICTV. A multicultural ambassador, she has been active on campus with the Latino Education Coalition, African/Latino Society, Kuumba Repertory Theatre, and Orgullo Latino cultural organization.

Mendoza is majoring in exercise science at the School of Health Sciences and Human Performance and has minors in both health and writing.

Inducted into "Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges," he has been active as a member of the Bias-Related Incidents Committee and has served as operations coordinator on the executive board of SASP (Student Auxiliary Safety Patrol). Mendoza has also served as a multicultural ambassador, peer recruiter, and as a member of the campus Rape and Safety Awareness Committee. Off-campus, he has worked as a student intern at the MacCormick Center for Youth and Ithaca Rape Crisis. A current recipient of the Haubenstock Scholarship for leadership and extracurricular involvement, Mendoza previously earned the Montana Morton Memorial Award, IOP Appreciation Award for Peer Counselors, and IOP Gold and Silver Awards for high academic achievement.

Ochoa is majoring in sociology at the School of Humanities and Sciences. She has minors in both Spanish and applied exercise science and a concentration in race and ethnicity. A dean's list student, she is a previous recipient of the Montana Morton Memorial Award and several Ithaca Opportunity Program Gold Awards for high academic achievement. Ochoa was also inducted into Sigma Delta Pi (Spanish) honor society.

Director of the Amani Gospel Singers, Ochoa was the founder of the Orgullo Latino cultural organization, cofounder of Sociedad Latina, and community liaison for the Latino Education Coalition.

The four La Fuerza Award winners were feted at a reception April 20 in the Clark Lounge, Egbert Hall. An engraved gold plaque with the winners' names will be on permanent display in the Campus Center.

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	Four Students Earn La Fuerza Honors
	Carly Fox '98, Denise Gonzalez '98, Phil Mendoza '98, and Tamara Ochoa '98 have been named recipients of the 1998 La Fuerza Award, given annually to Ithaca College students who have made outstanding contributions to society by promoting racial harmony through personal example and respect for racial and ethnic differences. The Spanish term "la fuerza" signifies outer strength as well as inner perseverance and vision. While the award winners represent a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds, their common heritage is the demonstration of leadership within a pluralistic society. Here is a look at each winner:
	A sociology major, Fox is a dean's list student and a member of the Oracle honor society. She spent one semester studying abroad in Nicaragua and is the founder of Estalla (Ithaca's counterpart to Cornell's Committee on U.S.-Latin Relations). Fox has been instrumental in educating and motivating the campus community about human rights issues in Latin America, even facing arrest for civil disobedience while protesting the School of the Americas at Fort Benning, Georgia. She has also lobbied for farmworker rights, particularly addressing the living conditions of regional migrant workers. Secretary of the Diversity Awareness Committee, Fox has been an active member of Orgullo Latino, Sociedad Latina, and the Latino Education Coalition.
	Gonzalez, a journalism major at the Roy H. Park School of Communications, has minors in both Spanish and politics and a concentration in broadcasting. She spent last spring in Los Angeles as a participant in the College's communications internship program. Inducted into "Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges," Gonzalez was previously chosen as an Emerson intern, awarded both Philip Dougherty Minority Journalism and Class of '85 scholarships, and named to the Sigma Delta Pi (Spanish) honor society. Gonzalez was selected as a delegate to the Harvard Model United Nations, where she served as a representative on the Legal Committee. She has also worked as a reporter and anchor for Newswatch 54, a program on ICTV. A multicultural ambassador, she has been active on campus with the Latino Education Coalition, African/Latino Society, Kuumba Repertory Theatre, and Orgullo Latino cultural organization.
	Mendoza is majoring in exercise science at the School of Health Sciences and Human Performance and has minors in both health and writing. Inducted into "Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges," he has been active as a member of the Bias-Related Incidents Committee and has served as operations coordinator on the executive board of SASP (Student Auxiliary Safety Patrol). Mendoza has also served as a multicultural ambassador, peer recruiter, and as a member of the campus Rape and Safety Awareness Committee. Off-campus, he has worked as a student intern at the MacCormick Center for Youth and Ithaca Rape Crisis. A current recipient of the Haubenstock Scholarship for leadership and extracurricular involvement, Mendoza previously earned the Montana Morton Memorial Award, IOP Appreciation Award for Peer Counselors, and IOP Gold and Silver Awards for high academic achievement.
	Ochoa is majoring in sociology at the School of Humanities and Sciences. She has minors in both Spanish and applied exercise science and a concentration in race and ethnicity. A dean's list student, she is a previous recipient of the Montana Morton Memorial Award and several Ithaca Opportunity Program Gold Awards for high academic achievement. Ochoa was also inducted into Sigma Delta Pi (Spanish) honor society. Director of the Amani Gospel Singers, Ochoa was the founder of the Orgullo Latino cultural organization, cofounder of Sociedad Latina, and community liaison for the Latino Education Coalition. The four La Fuerza Award winners were feted at a reception April 20 in the Clark Lounge, Egbert Hall. An engraved gold plaque with the winners' names will be on permanent display in the Campus Center.