Arizona State University invites schoolchildren from all over the state to enter its 25th annual Martin Luther King Jr. essay-poster contest. Winners will receive savings bonds and have their entries displayed at ASU.

They also will be honored at ASU's Martin Luther King Jr. celebration breakfast in January, along with their parents, teachers and school principals. Entries must be postmarked by Nov. 4.  Download Full Image

ASU started the contest 25 years ago to encourage children to discuss the ideals of the late civil-rights leader with their parents and teachers. Students are asked to create their entries around the theme, "Beyond the Dream: Building Communities Through Servant Leadership," focusing on a member of their family, school or community who demonstrates leadership through service.

Essays or poems depicting the theme must be 250 words or less. The winning posters will be made into bookmarks, so they must be oblong in shape — as small as 4 1/2 by 11 inches but no larger than 6 3/4 by 17 inches. Prizes are $150, $100 and $75 savings bonds.

Entries in each of the three categories will be judged by grade level: primary (K-2nd grade), intermediate (3rd-5th grade), middle (6th-8th grade) and secondary (9th-12th grade). Winning entries will be chosen on the basis of originality, clarity, creativity and best depiction of the theme.

Entry forms will be posted on the Web site, http://www.asu.edu/mlk/contest.html" title="http://www.asu.edu/mlk/contest.html">http://www.asu.edu/mlk/contest.html">http://www.asu.edu/mlk/contest.html.... For more information or to request entry forms in the mail, call Heidi Maxwell at (602) 543-5306 or e-mail heidi.maxwell@asu.edu.

<p><a href="http://egfi-k12.org/read-the-magazine/">Engineering: Go For It</a> magazine, published by the <a href="http://www.asee.org/">American Society for Engineering Education,</a> features ASU engineering faculty member Armando Rodriguez in its “Class Acts” section. </p><p>Rodriguez, a professor in the School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering in ASU’s Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, is lauded for his work recruiting and mentoring young students in science, engineering, math and technology fields.</p><p>He leads a National Science Foundation-funded program that provides scholarships to students pursuing education in those areas.</p><p><b>Note:</b> The web site link takes you to the online edition of <i>Engineering: Go For It</i>. Flip through to Page 58 to see the article about Rodriquez.</p><p><b>Note:</b> The magazine now is supplemented with an<a href="http://egfi-k12.org/"> interactive web site</a> for K-12 students and their teachers. <br /> </p>

A theatrical production, appearances by two noted Hispanic leaders, and a night of dancing are on the agenda as Arizona State University’s West campus celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month. Events, scheduled from Sept. 15 through Oct. 16, are free and open to the public. Attendees are asked to bring a donation of non-perishable food to support a drive that will benefit local food banks.

“We’re pleased to offer a range of thought-provoking and entertaining events to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month,” says Lucy Berchini, chairwoman of the Hispanic Heritage Committee at ASU’s West campus. “We want to give the campus and the community at large the opportunity to experience the tremendous variety within the Hispanic community.” Download Full Image

The schedule at ASU’s West campus, 4701 W. Thunderbird Road in Phoenix, is:

Reception and one-act play, “A Boy Named Cesar,” Tuesday, Sept. 15:

“A Boy Named Cesar” focuses on a 10-year-old boy in Yuma, Ariz., who would grow up to become one of the nation’s great civil rights leaders. ASU faculty members James Garcia and Julie Amparano wrote this play about labor leader Cesar Chavez; the production is directed by Terry Earp.

The performance is set for 7 p.m. in Second Stage West, lower level of the University Center Building. Prior to the play, a reception celebrating the opening of Hispanic Heritage Month will be held in the La Sala ballroom, also in the University Center Building. The reception starts at 6 p.m.

An evening with Raul Yzaguirre, Tuesday, Sept. 22:

Raul Yzaguirre is one of the most widely recognized national leaders in the Latino community. As the former president of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), Yzaguirre has been involved in many of the most critical legislative and public policy issues affecting Latinos during the past three decades. He is now a presidential professor of practice at the Center for Community Development and Civil Rights at ASU, where he continues to follow his mission to improve opportunities for Hispanics.

This event starts at 6:30 p.m. in the La Sala ballroom, in the University Center Building.

Brown bag lunch with Armando Contreras, Wednesday, Sept. 30:

Armando Contreras, the new executive director of the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, will discuss the recession, the Arizona economy, and how Latino consumers and businesses are making an impact. Contreras has served as director of the Arizona Registrar of Contractors and as executive director of the Governor’s Council on Small Business.  He also is a member of the board of directors of the Arizona Latino Research Enterprise.

This event will be held at noon in Room 265 of the University Center Building.

A Night of Dance, Friday, Oct. 16:

This event features a dance contest in which couples will be judged on their performance of salsa, reggaeton and cumbia dances. At least one member of each couple in the competition must be an ASU student, faculty member or staff member; contact lucy.berchini">mailto:lucy.berchini@asu.edu">lucy.berchini@asu.edu to sign up to compete. Other attendees will have the opportunity to learn and practice their dance steps.

A Night of Dance will be held from 6 to 10 p.m. in the University Center Building’s La Sala ballroom.

For more information about Hispanic Heritage Month events, contact Berchini at lucy.berchini">mailto:lucy.berchini@asu.edu">lucy.berchini@asu.edu or (602) 543-6091.

José Ramirez has a plan. One day, he and his father will run their own small business, specializing in tile and granite installations. The plan is closer than ever, he says, thanks to his degree work at Arizona State University and a recent scholarship award from the іAdelante! U.S. Education Leadership Fund.

Ramirez, a third-year collegian who lives in the Maryvale district of Phoenix, enrolled at ASU’s West campus as an accounting major in the School of Global Management and Leadership. With ASU’s recent academic restructuring, Ramirez is now on track to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the W.P. Carey School of Business in May 2011. In the meantime, he is doggedly doing everything he can to apply lessons learned at ASU and take advantage of the opportunity that has come with his recent scholarship, including attending the upcoming 2009 іAdelante! Leadership Institute in San Antonio, Texas. Download Full Image

“Working together side-by-side with my father is a dream that I plan to make a reality," says Ramirez, whose father has been a tile worker for a dozen years and has evolved his craft into works of art. “We have been kicking around this idea for quite some time, and we’d like to see it come true within the next few years.

“I want to be able to help him out from the business side. It is a great chance to bond with him and take part in what he loves to do. To me, it’s the perfect way to fuse together our specialties and provide a service we can be proud of.”

Ramirez graduated with honors from Phoenix Alhambra High School and was able to attend ASU on the strength of a Provost’s Scholarship, as well as an Alhambra Foundation for the Future scholar gift. His most recent award, presented by іAdelante! for exemplary academics and leadership skills, is well deserved.

“Mr. Ramirez’s leadership skills have emerged as he has worked with others,” says Regina Clemens Fox, an English lecturer in ASU’s School of Letters and Sciences. Clemens Fox wrote Ramirez’s letter of recommendation to іAdelante!. “He never lets up on his devotion to what he wants to accomplish. He has strong values and ethics and he works tirelessly to improve. It is impressive and endearing to work with someone who is so focused.”

Ramirez, a first-generation collegian hoping to set an example for his three younger siblings, says he embraces the diversity of the ASU community, which he credits for helping him become a better student and laying the groundwork for his professional life.

“ASU is a very interesting school,” he says. “What strikes me most is that there are students and scholars from across the globe attending and interacting with each other; it enhances the college experience. One of the greatest lessons I have learned by attending ASU is to be accepting of ideas and input from your colleagues. Working alongside people from different backgrounds, ethnicities and cultures has helped me understand that we live in a global community where everyone is not the same in any form or fashion.”

Clemens Fox believes Ramirez’s adaptability and inclusion are outgrowths of his strong family values.

“He works very well with others and has a strong multicultural perspective,” she says, adding that Ramirez once brought his younger brother into a weekend class to expose him to the group dynamics of his English work. “There was such an ease in how he negotiated working with diverse people in the group and his family member.

“He takes advantage of every opportunity to work with others, and the end result has always been improvement for all involved. That spells leadership to me – the willingness to go far and take others along for the ride.”

In the meantime, Ramirez is learning a profession indirectly driven by his father, José Sr.

“I knew ever since high school that I wanted to become a business major, and I decided to pursue accounting because I knew that someday I wanted to open a business with my dad," he says. "Hopefully, one day I can utilize what I learned while studying accounting, earn my CPA and help my dad successfully manage our future company together.”

Ramirez, who says his time-management skills and discipline were honed while a track and field letterman at Alhambra, is thankful for the іAdelante! opportunity and has a keen eye focused on the upcoming Leadership Institute.

“This scholarship isn’t all about the money; it goes beyond that,” he says. “It also gives me a great chance to network with other business students and professionals.”

The three-day conference will feature more than 100 undergraduate students from across the country. They will learn about leadership skills and how different personalities and styles can be successful in any environment, connect with a national network of business professionals and peers while improving communication skills through a variety of workshops, and participate in activities that will include internship and employment opportunities.

“I will be surrounded by other Hispanic business students from around the country," says Ramirez. "It represents a chance for me to really start to step outside my comfort zone and into the real world, and it’s a great opportunity for me to grow as a student and as a scholar. As a representative for ASU, I am privileged to show others what this university is all about.”