419 Latino Students to Be Honored Thursday at the 2025 HACE Awards for Academic Excellence
Photo Courtesy of the Latino Center of the Midlands
Story by Josefina Loza
The achievements of more than 400 Latino high school students will take center stage at the Hispanic Academic Challengers of Excellence (HACE) Awards Ceremony on Thursday, April 10, 2025, at Buena Vista High School in Omaha. The event, which begins at 6 p.m., is a proud part of the Community Academic Achievement Awards Committee (CAAAC) — a long-standing citywide initiative that celebrates academic and cultural excellence.
The HACE Awards recognize Latino students within the Omaha Public Schools who have earned a 3.0 GPA or higher, honoring not only academic achievement but also leadership, resilience, and dedication to personal and community growth. This year, 419 students will be recognized for their outstanding performance and commitment to excellence.
“Our students are achieving at high levels, and this ceremony is a powerful reminder of the brilliance, strength, and promise within our Latino youth,” said Josefina Loza, a CAAAC Board Member who founded Lozafina Marketing and Public Relations, and co-host of the event. “The HACE Awards are about honoring the whole student: their effort, their story, and their future.”
The celebration will feature:
● A live performance by Mariachi Andariegos
● Remarks from Viridiana Almanza Zavala, OPS Board Member
● A welcome from Josefina Loza and Sahory Martinez of Lozafina
● Community reflections by Marcos Mora, CEO of Casa de la Cultura
● Certificate presentations by prominent Latino leaders - Javier Rodriguez-Miller of Omaha Public Schools, Maria Juan of the Latino Pilot Association, Tony Aguilera, President of the Barrientos Scholarship Foundation, and Itzel Lopez of the Latino Economic Development Council.
The event will also include a special moment recognizing prior HACE awardees, inviting them to stand and be acknowledged for their continued success and influence in the community.
In addition to the HACE Awards, the 5A Awards — African-American Academic Achievement Awards will take place later this month. That ceremony will be held on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, at 6 p.m. at Northwest High School and will honor 221 students.
“As a proud product of Omaha Public Schools and a former 5A Award recipient, I’m deeply honored to serve as chair of the 2025 Community Academic Achievement Awards,” said Dorothy Johnson who serves as the Vice President of Culture and Belonging, at gener8tor, an accelerator connecting genius with opportunity through community, mentorship, and capital. “There’s no better time than now to celebrate the outstanding accomplishments of our students and uplift the excellence that lives within our community.”
