WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) proudly announced today a $2.5 million grant from the PepsiCo Foundation to further its mission of educating and training the next generation of Latino leaders.  The historical and transformative grant represents the largest in CHCI’s nearly 40-year history and contributes to CHCI’s Comprehensive Campaign to create a 21st Century Leadership Center and program endowment that will also support the largest class of PepsiCo Foundation Fellows in CHCI’s history.

“I am extraordinarily grateful to the PepsiCo Foundation for their generous grant to the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute,” said Rep. Rubén Hinojosa, CHCI Chairman.  “The foundation of every state is the education of its youth. Each generation is measured by how we prepare our youth to lead and how we keep the promise and opportunity of the American dream alive for future generations, and it’s never been more critical that we invest in education and leadership development for young Latinos. The contribution of the PepsiCo Foundation, the largest in CHCI history, will ensure the future success of its mission and change lives.”

CHCI, PepsiCo and the PepsiCo Foundation have partnered since the founding of CHCI in 1978, transforming the lives of more than 500 young Latinos who have gone on to contribute to U.S. society in diverse fields from health and education, to forging public policy on Capitol Hill and serving as elected officials. The new five-year grant from the PepsiCo Foundation extends this long-standing partnership and demonstrates its strong commitment to developing effective and successful leaders who will help shape the future success of America. With this extraordinary grant, PepsiCo and PepsiCo Foundation’s historical investment in CHCI totals more than $4.4 million.   

“We commend CHCI on its tremendous efforts to educate, develop and empower Latino youth and we’re proud to support this important organization,” said Al Carey, CEO of PepsiCo Americas Beverages and executive sponsor of PepsiCo’s Latino and Hispanic employee group, Adelante. “PepsiCo and the PepsiCo Foundation are committed to helping CHCI further its mission and its 21st Century Leadership Center.”

The PepsiCo Foundation’s grant will help fund the 21st Century Leadership Center, the new home for CHCI’s programs and staff.  The Center will be used as a convening, training and gathering place for Latino youth and national leaders to share ideas, experiences, leadership and values.

The grant also supports three graduate fellows and two public policy fellows in CHCI’s 2014-2015 Fellowship Program. This is the largest group of fellows sponsored by a single company in one year, and expands the PepsiCo Foundation’s ongoing commitment to developing Latino leadership. Over the next nine months, CHCI-PepsiCo Foundation Fellows will take part in CHCI’s intensive leadership development sessions, interact with leaders at the heart of today’s public policy challenges, strengthen their professional skills, and gain unsurpassed hands-on experience at the national level.

“For many years, CHCI has been at the vanguard of developing leadership in the Latino community,” said Deborah Rosado Shaw, senior vice president of diversity at PepsiCo.  “With the continued growing diversity of our country, PepsiCo knows that investing in the education and leadership development of our youth from all of the communities we serve is of vital importance.”

“Before the fellowship, I had a passion for public health and policy; after the fellowship, I have the same passion, but I also have the resources and supportive network to be an effective public health policy professional,” said Daphne Delgado, 2013-2014 CHCI PepsiCo Foundation Health Graduate Fellow.  “I could not have accomplished everything I have without the support of CHCI and the PepsiCo Foundation. I look forward to giving back to CHCI and continuing my relationship with the PepsiCo Foundation so that other emerging Latino leaders have the same opportunities as I was fortunate to have.” 

2014-2015 CHCI PepsiCo Foundation Fellows

Grant Barbosa, Health Graduate Fellow

Grant Barbosa is half Puerto Rican, half African-American raised outside of Chicago. He received his B.A. in cultural anthropology and women, gender, and sexuality studies with a minor in psychology from Washington University in St. Louis.  Grant earned his Juris Doctorate from Harvard Law School in 2014. He will be completing his first half placement with the American Public Health Association.

Araceli Gutierrez, Health Graduate Fellow

Araceli Gutierrez is a first-generation college student from Arvin, CA.  Araceli completed her undergraduate studies at San Francisco State University, earning a B.S. in business administration and received her M.S. in society, human development, and health from the Harvard School of Public Health with a concentration in interdisciplinary public health leadership. She will be completing her first-half placement with the office of Representative Lucille Roybal-Allard.

Israel Nery, Law Graduate Fellow

Israel Nery was born in Compton, and raised in Los Angeles, CA. He is Salvadoran/Mexican and completed his B.S. in business administration at the California State University, Monterey Bay; his M.B.A. from Woodbury University; and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Illinois College Of Law. He will be completing his first-half placement with the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF).

Sarah Diaz, Health Public Policy Fellow

Sarah Diaz is a first-generation Colombian-American born in Boston.  Her interest in social justice led her to pursue community health as part of a double major with cognitive brain science at Tufts University. As a CHCI Public Policy Fellow, Sarah hopes to gain a greater understanding of how population health policy is created. 

Rafael Hurtado Jr., Pre-Law Public Policy Fellow

Rafael Hurtado Jr. was born in Chicago and has worked as a community organizer for the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization.  He has a B.A. from the University of Illinois, Chicago with a major in criminology, law, and justice.  As a CHCI Fellow, Rafael hopes to help more individuals involved at the grass-roots level voice their concerns at a federal level. He will be completing his first-half placement with the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA).