latino Communications Institute Hosts Inaugural Alumni Awards night

LCI awards

The Latino Communications Institute hosted its inaugural Alumni Awards Night on September 18, honoring three awardees for their accomplishments throughout their careers.

The three awards given were the Innovator Award for a Latinx Titan who forged their own unique career path, the Outstanding Mentor award for a Latinx Titan who has gone the extra mile to share their knowledge with current students and alumni even after graduation, and the Visionary Award for a Latinx Titan who has found success by using a focused career strategy.

Brenda Saucedo received The Innovator Award. Saucedo graduated from Cal State Fullerton in 2016 with a degree in cinema and television arts, and has now found a way to balance her job with NBC while still pursuing film making. She has even started her own film company called Be Contagious.

Marcie Perez, a Cal State Fullerton Alumna herself presented the award stating, “Brenda is not waiting for anyone to tell her stories.”

Sheryl Posadas received the Outstanding Mentor Award. Posadas studied journalism during her time at Cal State Fullerton and now works as a production assistant for E! Network after graduating in 2018. She has not only gone out of her way to speak at campus events, but she even runs her own YouTube channel where she shares her experience and advice from her career for individuals who may be looking for guidance.

“Sheryl is passionate about creating content that educates through video journalism,” said Cynthia Montes when presenting her the award. Montes now works in Washington D.C. and came all the way to California to attend the awards night, stating she felt it important to attend as LCI did so much for her.

Denise Salcedo received the Visionary Award. While at Cal State Fullerton, Salcedo studied journalism with aspirations to be an entertainment reporter. After graduating in 2014, she worked hard for many years and it paid off. Today she produces and reports for her very own entertainment news outlet named Instinct Culture.

The final award was presented by Stephanie Miranda, a producer at NBC 4, who also graduated from Cal State Fullerton. “The remarkable part of this story is that Denise has done all of this on her own,” said Miranda.

The event was organized by LCI founder and director, Inez Gonzalez, along with the help of student and alumni volunteers. Cal State Fullerton alumni, current students, and administrators all attended. LCI sponsors NBC 4 and Ford Latino also had representatives attend. The event was hosted at La Plaza de Cultura y Artes in Los Angeles, a venue that reflects the culture and community LCI is meant to foster. Thank you to Cal State Fullerton alum John Echeveste, CEO of La Plaza de Cultura y Artes, for his support of LCI through his involvement on the board of alumni advisors.

The Latino Communications Institute began in 2013 as an initiative to help Latinx Titans secure successful careers by connecting them with internships, workshops, and scholarships. By giving provinding opportunities to build strong social capital and network, LCI’s core mission is to help tomorrow’s leaders grow. Today the LCI is a community that helps students and alumni continue to succeed well beyond graduation.