In light of the coronavirus epidemic, we are transforming our annual Fiesta of Hope Celebration into a virtual format to enable business and community leaders, supporters and families to celebrate, despite social distancing requirements, the achievements of our students. The celebration will be moved from the scheduled June 5 date to a virtual Fiesta of Hope celebration that will be live on July 1. To get the latest on Fiesta of Hope, visit esperanzainc.org/fiesta-of-hope.

We at Esperanza are blessed with the strong support of individuals and business leaders, like yourself, who walk in step with us to further the achievements of our communitys youth. I ask for your continued support during this time. Our organization and, more importantly, our students, need your assistance now more than ever.

Many of our students, including three-year scholarship recipient Arielis, face unprecedented financial, emotional, and societal pressures. Completing her junior year at Cleveland State University, Arielis finds herself without her campus job and her planned summer internship, all due to the impact of the current

crisis. Additionally, without internet at home and a computer that failed at the beginning of the quarantine, Arielis struggles with the logistics of taking online classes. However, make no mistake, Arielis is a determined young woman and is adapting to these challenges to complete her degree on time. Esperanza is right there with her, going above and beyond to give her the extra support she needs to persevere and continue to pursue her dreams. Your support not only helps cover the costs of Arielis education, but also allows us to provide her, and many like her, the support that she needs during these trying times.

With your support, our goal is to award 100 college scholarships to our talented Hispanic youth as part of Fiesta of Hope. Due to the uncertainty of the last few weeks, financial commitments, understandably, are lagging compared to previous years. As of today, we have only 41 scholarships committed, so we have a lot of work to do in the coming weeks to ensure our students have the financial support they need to continue their education. The dollars raised through Fiesta of Hope may very well mean the difference between a students ability to attend college in the fall, or falling behind.