NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises announces “ElCampeón en Ti” Winners

Telemundo doubles down on its commitment to provide youth the opportunity to play soccer, empower future champions and expand educational opportunities for Latino youth by investing over $35,000 in scholarships to high-need, distinguished student athletes from across the country. In partnership with the Alianza U Foundation, Telemundo is proud to announce the seven recipients of the “ElCampeón en Ti” (The Champion Within You) scholarship to select participants of the Foundation’s mentorship program. Earlier this year, NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises launched “El Campeón en Ti” (The Champion Within You), a company-wide campaign under the banner of its award-winning corporate social responsibility initiative, “El Poder En Ti” (The Power Within You), focused on empowering young Hispanics to achieve their full potential and find their inner champion through sports.

By partnering with the Alianza U Foundation, the “El Campeón En Ti” scholarship helps overcome financial barriers limiting many Latino youth from pursuing post-secondary education degrees and playing sports at the collegiate level. The Alianza U Foundation serves as a bridge for scholar athletes and their families to navigate the collegiate recruiting process and mentors students throughout the academic year to help them reach their educational and athletic goals.                                                                                                               

The recipients of the “El Campeón en Ti” scholarship are:

• Edgard Gamboa (Houston, TX): Committed to the University of Alabama at Birmingham, a Division I school, after overcoming many obstacles resulting from a grave injury to his metatarsal bone. Edgard and his family migrated to the United States from Honduras when he was 10, and he hopes to be the first member of his family to graduate from college.
• Alondra Arreola (Wheeling, IL): She is the first woman to complete the Alianza U Foundation and competed against all-male teams in various tournaments. She is committed to Chicago State University and will be the first member of her family to attend college.
• Adrian Medina (San Francisco, CA): Committed to San Francisco State University, Adrian is part of the Foundation’s inaugural All-Star team, a recognition of the program’s standout student athletes. He will be the first member of his family to attend college.
• Noel Ortega (Van Nuys, CA): Rising Senior with a 4.2 GPA and is a first generation Mexican- American. He has already overcome a complicated injury and is a top recruitment prospect. He hopes to follow in his sister’s footsteps to become the second person in his family attending college.
• Alan Ayala (Calumet City, IL): Alan is committed to Roosevelt University. Alan and his family moved from Mexico when he was a baby, and he hopes to be the first member of his family to graduate from College. He is a DACA recipient, which has limited his possibilities from pursuing forms of financial aid.
• Wilberth Araujo (Cypress, TX): Wilberth is a rising junior who was born in El Salvador. He is actively pursuing recruitment by a Division 1 university and is passionate about STEM. He hopes to become an engineer.
• José Carra (Moraga, CA): A rising senior, José is a top recruitment prospect at the Foundation who has been recognized for his collaborative spirit, and tenacity. He is a first-generation Mexican-American who, despite an especially challenging economic situation, hopes to be the first member of his family to attend college.

Since 2016, 48 players have enrolled in the Alianza U Mentorship program and the programs’s 17 seniors have committed to play soccer in the fall of 2018.

“As the exclusive Spanish-language home of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™, we are proud to use Telemundo’s influence and power in the Hispanic community to help give the opportunity of education to these students who are already so accomplished at such a young age,” said Ginette Magaña, Director, Corporate Affairs, NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises. “By giving these players access to higher education, we want to set them up to reach their academic and personal goals and continue to be successful in our communities.”

Along with the “El Campeón en Ti” scholarship fund, Telemundo remains committed to empowering Latino youth to pursue and reach academic goals through “Tu Educacion,” a pillar of the award-winning corporate responsibility platform “El Poder En Ti.” Partnering with leading organizations including Hispanic Heritage Foundation, the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, GLADD and South Florida for Progress Foundation, “Tu Educacion” has granted more than $150,000 in scholarships, providing financial support to promising students.