Greater Tulsa Area Hispanic/Latinx Affairs Commission to Present Tomás Rivera Latinx Excellence in Education Awards on May 14 2026

Greater Tulsa Area Hispanic/Latinx Affairs Commission to Present Tomás Rivera Latinx Excellence in Education Awards on May 14 2026

5/12/2026

The Greater Tulsa Area Hispanic/Latinx Affairs Commission (GTAHLAC) is set to announce the scholars and community heroes who are making a positive impact on the Hispanic/Latinx community of Tulsa during the annual Tomás Rivera Latinx Excellence in Education Awards Ceremony on Thursday.

The ceremony will be held on May 14 at 6 p.m. at Central Library, Pocahontas Greadington Learning and Creativity Center, located at 400 Civic Center. The event is free and open to the public with light refreshments provided. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. Much of the ceremony will be conducted in Spanish with English translation available.

Jesse Guardiola, Director of Government Relations at the Oklahoma State Department of Education will be the keynote speaker, and Dion'trae Hayes, Chief Resilience Officer for the City of Tulsa, will share featured remarks.

"The GTAHLAC Commission looks forward to this event each year as a moment to celebrate the extraordinary individuals who help shape our community," Jackiez Gonzalez, GTAHLAC Chair said. "These honorees reflect the very best of our community: resilient, driven, and deeply committed to lifting others up. Their contributions extend beyond individual success; they create ripple effects for peers, families, and future generations. Each honoree represents both demonstrated excellence and the boundless potential of what comes next. We are honored to celebrate their impact and excited for all they will continue to accomplish."

The Greater Tulsa Area Hispanic/Latinx Affairs Commission's Education Committee selected the award winners from the open nominations received through an online nomination form. The categories and awardees are as follows:

Scholars

Hispanic/Latinx students who demonstrate exceptional leadership in extracurricular activities both in school and in the community with a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher and at least 90-percent attendance in the first semester of their senior year.

• Sandra Acosta Alvarado
• Eli Sarai Araiza Mendez
• Giancarlo Arevalo
• Sheyla Benitez Flores
• Yelena Camacho-Rios
• Juan Cardenas
• Angelica Carreon Flores
• Ashlee Del Castillo
• Uvaldo Esparza
• Alex Fuentes-Brambila
• Carolyne Gonzalez Posadas
• Edgar Guerrero Villaviencio
• Heidy Gutierrez
• Oscar Gutierrez
• Daniela Juan      
• Dylan Ledesma
• Camila Linares
• Kasumi Martinez Barbosa
• Atalanta Montenegro Maldonado
• Jason Morales-Aguirre
• Alexander Munoz
• Juan Pinto Henriques
• Yesenia Rodriguez
• Jose Salgado-Porfirio
• Marlen Sigala Saldivar
• Lexa Silva Porras
• Emily Marlyn Torres
• Luis Vargas-Carranco
• Ricardo I Vivas Gil

Heroes in Education
Outstanding citizens who work actively to support the Hispanic/Latinx community in education as a volunteer, parent, exceptional teacher, educational researcher, tutor and mentor, administrative staff and/or community member.

• Perla Alvarado, Tulsa Honor Academy
• Ana Barros, Impact Tulsa
• Gwen Blank, Tulsa Community College
• Myra Cordoba, McKinley Elementary
• Charlene Johnson, Tulsa Honor Academy
• Shawna Pawley, Union Public Schools
• Alexis Ruth Zúñiga Peregrina, Union High School
• Krystal Reyes, City of Tulsa
• Kelly Reynolds, Tulsa Intercultural Association
• Julian Rodriguez, Broken Arrow High School