One of the Tampa Bay Lightning’s latest community heroes is using her prize to open doors for the next generation of Latino students.
It’s a full circle moment for Tampa’s Margarita Gonzalez.
She initially moved to the area as a Cuban refugee with her family in the 1960s.
“I was able to enroll in HCC through a grant that was called Proyecto Opportunidad, for students that needed help,” she said.
From there, she transferred to USF where she quickly found a passion for civil service.
Now, decades later, Gonzalez gets to pay it forward after winning the Lightning Community Hero Award.
“With their $50,000 donation, I’m able to establish an endowment at USF for the Latino Student Scholarship Program,” she said.
Gonzalez has made a name for herself in public service, giving back to the Latino community as a city of Tampa employee. She co-founded the Hispanic Professional Women’s Association (HPWA), the Mayor’s Hispanic Heritage Committee, and has been involved with countless other non-profit organizations throughout the decades.
“I was at [Amalie] Arena before it opened. As a city employee, we had a tour,” she recalled. “I would have never guessed that down the line I would be receiving this wonderful gift from them.”
Gonzalez credits higher learning and involvement in getting her to where she is today.
“[Education] is the key that opens doors,” she said.
She hopes the next generation to attend her alma mater will be inspired to do the same.
The endowment, which she established in partnership with HPWA, will help Latino students get through college and find mentorship opportunities.
“I also hope that they are motivated to also get involved with the different organizations that they have in the community,” she said.
