Princeton, N.J. - Nonprofit organization HISPA (Hispanics Inspiring Students' Performance and Achievement) will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month at their annual HISPA Role Model Program Kick-Off and Recruiting Event themed, “20,000 Inspirational Stories = One Empowering Voice” on October 16 at 5:30 pm at UPS in Parsippany, N.J.  Hosted by UPS and Crecer, the Hispanic/Latino Business Resource Group, the Kick-Off will bring together some 200 professionals dedicated to inspiring Hispanic youth.

The event will take place only 30 minutes from where HISPA began ten years ago, when the organization’s CEO, Dr. Ivonne Diaz-Claisse, stepped into a Newark classroom.  She saw so many young Hispanic students who reminded her of herself as a child and was moved to share the obstacles she faced growing up in Puerto Rico.  As a girl with a passion for math, teachers doubted her ability and discouraged her from pursuing an advanced degree.  She found a role model in a Puerto Rican professor who had earned his Ph.D. in mathematics in the U.S.  Inspired, she went on to do the same.

After speaking, a young Latina approached her and said, “I love chemistry. Now I know I can pursue a Ph.D., too.”  Diaz-Claisse realized that Hispanic youth could not aspire to something they didn’t see.  She left her ten-year career behind to lead HISPA, which mobilizes Hispanic professionals to serve as role models and examples to motivate students to stay in school and pursue a college education.

HISPA has since grown to 2,500 role models who together have made 762 classroom visits, sharing their stories with more than 9,000 students.  The Kick-Off event will continue HISPA’s movement to share 20,000 stories by year 2020.  Efforts and accomplishments like these lead to HISPA’s formal commendation by the New Jersey State Senate last week in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month.

“In a way, HISPA celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month every month of the year by showcasing the accomplishments of Hispanic professionals as a way to inspire the next generation,” said Diaz-Claisse.

Kick-Off speakers include Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR) CEO, Cid Wilson; UPS Foundation President, Ed Martinez; and UPS Chief Information and Engineering Officer, Juan Perez.

HISPA events and educational programs are made possible by HISPA’s Co-Founding Partner, the Verizon Foundation, and Annual Partners the Comcast Foundation, ETS, the PSEG Foundation and Southwest Airlines, HISPA’s official airline partner.

For more details or to register to attend, visit: https://hispa2017nj-kickoff.eventbrite.com.

For more information about HISPA, visit www.hispa.org.