July 5, 2016

Marivel Resendiz

Five students receive Denny’s Hungry for Education scholarships

The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) has announced five students will receive a Denny’s Hungry for Education scholarship.

The students from HACU member institutions in Texas, New York and California were selected from entries that included essays on how Denny’s could impact childhood hunger in the United States. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, 15.3 million children younger than 18 in the United States live in households where they are unable to consistently access nutritious food.

Mariana Mireles, a student at the University of California, Los Angeles, suggested a food distribution program that includes health and wellness programs to combat hunger.

Veronica Cortez, a student at City College of New York, believes partnering with local schools, reaching out to families, evaluating their needs and inviting them to eat at a nearby restaurant could make an impact.

Anakari Corona, a California State University, Fullerton, student, recommended an initiative to understand the environment of children living in poverty, referencing the ecological systems theory of developmental psychologist Urie Bronfenbenner, and advocating for change on a federal level.

Andrea Calderon, a St. Edward’s University student from Texas, said Denny’s has a strong foundation and recommends a marketing campaign for increased participation and donations.

Joseph Guerra, a student at The University of Texas at Arlington, proposed engaging teens and young adults to volunteer at local food pantries and with youth from food-insecure homes.

Since 2011, Denny’s developed the Hungry for Education, a scholarship program designed to recognize academic achievement. HACU is among nine leading non-profit minority advocacy organizations that helped launch the program in Denny's restaurant areas. The 2016 program is expected to award more than $500,000 in scholarships to elementary, high school and college students for their ideas to help Denny’s fight childhood hunger.

The Denny’s Hungry for Education scholarship is part of the 2016-17 HACU Scholarship Program. For information about HACU Student Programs and Scholarships click here.