Luz Gamarra,
multicultural student success coordinator for Hispanic/Latino(a) students with
the SLCC Office of Diversity & Multicultural Affairs, recently received a Tumi
USA 2018 Award, which recognizes “outstanding Peruvian immigrants from around
the world who have shown a spirt of solidarity, service, passion and efforts
for growth and prosperity of the Hispanic/Latino legacy.”
Gamarra, who
migrated from Peru with her family in 2004, represented Utah as one of 15
states with Tumi USA honorees at a September conference in Miami.
Gamarra has worked
at SLCC for 10 years and helped establish the school’s Amigos Mentores
organization, a peer mentoring group designed to assist Hispanic students in reaching
their academic goals. In her role, she has helped many people like student
Mario Bernuy, who in his late 50s began attending SLCC at the behest of Gamarra.
Bernuy eventually graduated from the college with honors and a degree in
business. “He was the recipient of many scholarships and recognition efforts,”
Gamarra says. “Furthermore, he was able to motivate his whole family. He
inspired his family, including his sons and daughter-in-law, to return to school
after they watched him successfully complete all of his courses. They felt
motivated to come back and follow his example.”