The National Council of La Raza's (NCLR) Líderes Initiative is a national program designed to create opportunities for Latino youth that will elevate their influence as leaders in the United States.

Rules and Guidelines

NCLR - Best Buy Emerging Latino Leaders Scholarship Program 2009


The 2009 winners have been selected.
 Grand-prize winners Kathleen Ferraren (Sterling, VA) and Alexandra Méndez (Decatur, GA) will each receive a $10,000 scholarship, and Juan Martinez (Seattle, WA), Leslie Pinero (Mays Landing, NJ), and Colin Cortes (Flossmoor, IL) will each receive $5,000.


Please submit an essay answering the following question:

How can you use your leadership experiences in high school and/or your community to help broaden opportunities for future Latino youth? Please use specific examples of your leadership skills and experiences.

Essays should include a brief description of your individual leadership work with a group or community organization and how you to expand your involvement in the Latino community.

Who is Eligible?

High school seniors of Hispanic descent currently enrolled in high school (with a minimum GPA of 2.0) can participate in the NCLR- Best Buy Emerging Latino Leaders Scholarship Program.

Who is Not Eligible?

The following are not eligible for the NCLR - Best Buy Emerging Latino Leaders Scholarship Program: (1) employees and agents of Best Buy Co., Inc., and/or Best Buy Children’s Foundation (Best Buy),National Council of La Raza and their respective parent, subsidiary, and affiliate companies, and their respective advertising and promotion agencies; (2) persons providing support services to any sales agent authorized to represent Best Buy Company or its parent, subsidiary, or affiliate companies (whether those persons are employed by agent or not); (3) the “immediate family members” and/or “household members” of any of the persons set forth in (1) or (2) above. “Immediate family members” shall mean parents, step-parents, children, step-children, siblings or spouses. “Household members” shall mean people who share the same residence at least three months a year; (4) any person who won the contest the year previous to the current scholarship application year; (5) any person who has previously won will not be given preference.

Application Guidelines

In order to apply for the NCLR – Best Buy Emerging Latino Leaders Scholarship Program, you must have a CURRENT email account. The application is a two step process. Essay submissions will be accepted through the electronic application process. Supporting documents must be mailed. Please read the following instructions carefully:

Electronic Instructions

  • Students must fill out an online registration.
  • Students must download an essay on the registration page. Please submit essays as Word documents.

    • Mail in Instructions
  • Students must submit via mail a letter of recommendation from a community leader or mentor
  • Students must download, print and submit via mail the NCLR release form and high school information form
    • Mail to
    NCLR- Best Buy Emerging Latino Leaders Scholarship Program
    Attn: Denise Pernick
    1126 16th Street, NW
    Washington, DC 20036.
    Faxes and emails for the release forms and recommendation will not be accepted.

    All entry materials will become the property of NCLR once submitted. They will not be returned. No responsibility is assumed for lost, late, incomplete, stolen, misdirected mail, or online entries; or for any computer or communications malfunctions, failures, connections, or availability; or garbled, corrupt, or jumbled transmissions; or service provider/ Internet/web site/use net accessibility, availability, or traffic congestion, or any technical error, or unauthorized human intervention; or the incorrect or inaccurate capture of entry or other information.

    Any submission that does not meet the requirements or is received after 5 p.m. EST on Friday, March 6, 2009 will not be considered.

    It is important that you use an email address that you check regularly, as all correspondence will be sent to you by email. Helpful Hint: Please make sure you identify NCLR as a personal contact so that our messages do not end up in your Spam folder.

    Rules & Guidelines

    Entries must be in English, typed, double-spaced, in 12-point Times New Roman or an equivalent font with numbered pages and with one-inch margins. No identifying information (e.g., first and/or last name, initials) should appear on the first page of your essay. Essays should contain a cover sheet with the essay title and the student’s name. Essays should be no longer than 1,000 words.

    Selection Process

    Winning essays will be chosen by an independent panel of judges. Each essay will be evaluated on the basis of the entrant’s community service experience and ideas as to how to support future Latino youth. All winners will be notified by Thursday, April 2, 2009. The decisions of the judges are final.

    Prizes

    There will be four scholarship winners.

  • Two grand prize winners will receive a one-time payment of $10,000.
  • Two winners will each receive a one-time payment of $5,000.


    • Distribution of Scholarships

    NCLR will make checks payable to the school that the recipient will be attending in the fall following their high school graduation. Proof of registration will have to be provided to NCLR. Checks will be mailed to the college/university.

    Deadline

    Your entry MUST be received no later than 5 p.m. EST on Friday, March 6, 2009. Recommended postmark date: Monday, March 2, 2009. NCLR and Best Buy reserves the right to amend or stop the contest without advance notice.

    Please contact Denise Pernick with any questions at 202-776-1720 or leadership@nclr.org

    Register Now!


    About the NCLR Best Buy Emerging Latino Leaders Scholarship Program

    Release form

    Please do not forget to mail the release forms and a recommendation.