El Centro Awards
We are excited to announce our nominations for our El Centro Awards for the 2025-2026 school year. These awards are an opportunity for the El Centro community to recognize the accomplishments and contributions of CSU students, faculty, staff, and mentors that have impacted our community in different ways through their work, community engagement, day to day interactions, leadership and scholarship.
This year these awards will be presented at El Centro’s SOMOS Family & Community Celebration.
Please take a moment to look at the awards’ descriptions and fill out the following form to nominate a student, staff, and/or faculty.
If you have any questions, please email natalia.sanchez-ruiz@colostate.edu
Deadline to submit your nominations is Wednesday, April 8th at 5:00pm.
La Conexión Participant Award
La Conexión is a peer mentorship program in El Centro, which aims to retain and build a community for first-year/transfer students. This award is given to a first-year/ transfer student who actively participates in La Conexión, demonstrates a commitment to the program, actively encourages and supports their peers and upholds La Conexión’s core values (community, academics, celebration of identities, and student engagement).
El Centro Graduate Student Award
This award recognizes a masters or doctoral student who excels in their academic field through research, practice and or community engagement. The recipient of this award is a student who is actively engaged in giving back to their community through their field work.
Mary Ontiveros Faculty/Staff Award
The Mary Ontiveros Faculty/Staff award is given to a CSU faculty or staff member who has impacted Colorado State University or the Northern Colorado Latinx/e community through their work, practice, research, scholarship, mentorship or contributions. This award, founded in 2021, is given in honor of the legacy of Mary Ontiveros, Emeritus Vice President for Diversity.
Mary was a CSU alum and began her career at CSU in Admissions and El Centro, serving as interim Director of El Centro for some time. She worked in a variety of areas on campus throughout the course of her 45 years, ending her career as the first Vice President for Diversity. Mary contributed significantly to the Latinx/é community at CSU and throughout the state of Colorado in ways that will have long-lasting impacts on our comunidad.
Dr. Guadalupe Salazar Outstanding Student Legacy Award
The Dr. Guadalupe Salazar Outstanding Student Legacy Award is awarded to one undergraduate student who demonstrates excellent academic achievement with at least 60 completed academic credits (Junior or Senior Standing) and is in good academic standing. This student initiates programming and community involvement, demonstrates strong leadership, and exemplifies integrity in their daily lives.
Dr. Guadalupe Salazar is a Colorado State University alum, and a previous director of El Centro. She dedicated 30 plus years of her career supporting Latinx students and communities at Colorado State University, within the Poudre School District and in the Northern Colorado community.