Hispanic Heritage Month Community Awards

Hispanic Heritage Month Awards
City of South Bend
Mayor James Mueller
2022 – 2025
logos for La Casa De Amistad and City of South Bend

links taking you to 2025 honorees through 2022.

2025

headshot of Felix E. Marquez-Snyder, 2025 award winner

Félix E. Márquez-Snyder is a Spanish teacher at John Adams High School. Originally from El Salvador, Félix immigrated to the United States at the age of 16. After spending time in Washington, D.C., he relocated to South Bend, Indiana, in December 2005 to pursue his education at Indiana University South Bend, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education.

Before teaching at the high school level, Félix worked with kindergarten and first-grade students—an experience that inspired him to write his first children’s book, Cat Baby. He is currently working on a second book that reflects on his journey as an immigrant, including personal stories and memories from the civil war in El Salvador.

Félix has been actively involved with Radio Sabor Latino (RSL) since 2008 and previously served as the ESL/ENL Program Coordinator for adults at La Casa de Amistad. Deeply committed to education and community empowerment, he continues to support students in their academic pursuits by contributing to RSL’s mission of providing college scholarships.

headshot of Angelica M. Duarte, 2025 award winner

Angelica M. Duarte is the Latino Outreach Liaison at Saint Joseph High School, a private Catholic school where she is dedicated to serving and empowering the Latino community. In this role, she works to build meaningful connections with students and families, fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment rooted in faith, education, and cultural pride.

Deeply committed to her faith, Angelica also serves as a catechist, preparing students to receive their First Communion. She is an active member of her parish, serving as both a church minister and lector, regularly proclaiming the Word during Sunday Mass.

Beyond her work in education and parish ministry, Angelica is the founder and leader of Danza de Matlachines “Nuestra Morenita”, a traditional religious dance group that honors Our Lady of Guadalupe. Through this ministry, she shares her heritage, faith, and devotion—offering dance as a powerful expression of prayer and culture.

Angelica’s life and work reflect her passion for education, service, tradition, and spiritual growth within the Latino community. She is also passionate about serving others and enjoys spending time outdoors, camping, and gathering with her family.

headshot of Juan M. Hernandez, 2025 award winner

Juan M. Hernandez, Jr. is a lifelong resident of South Bend’s west side and a dedicated community leader. As the founder and former president of the Latin American Chamber of Commerce of St. Joseph County, he has spent decades advancing Latino small businesses and cross-cultural collaboration in schools, workplaces, and the wider community.

A child of former migrant workers, Juan and his five siblings were raised with strong values of education, hard work, and giving back. His career includes leadership roles with the South Bend Community School Corporation and the University of Notre Dame.

Juan’s passion for civic engagement began in the 1990s and includes work with the South Bend Police Department’s community outreach efforts, as well as service on several local committees and nonprofit boards. He was the first Latino member of the 100 Black Men of Greater South Bend and helped launch the city’s first Gang Violence Initiative advisory committee.

A committed mentor and youth advocate, Juan founded the Career Employment Opportunities program for middle school students and continues to guide young leaders across South Bend.

A personal quote:
“The on-going changes in the destiny of humanity
begins with the minds of our children…”
– Juan M. Hernandez, Jr

Past Honorees

2022

headshot of Teresita Alvarez Mendez, 2022 award winner

Teresita Alvarez Mendez has been a South Bend native for over 20 years. She is a proud graduate of South Bend’s Washington High School and received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Indiana University South Bend.

After working as a bedside ICU nurse at multiple Michiana hospitals, she is now the Clinic Supervisor at Beacon Community Impact. Currently, she leads the COVID-19 vaccine efforts as part of a multi-million dollar grant that works closely with underserved communities in Elkhart, St. Joseph, Marshall and Laporte Counties.

Prior to her career in healthcare, Teresita was a former La Casa de Amistad employee. She continues to advocate for her community in her current position and other volunteer opportunities.

headshot of Dr. Nicole Garcia, 2022 award winner

Dr. Nicole Garcia has been an educator in South Bend Schools for 19 years. She was a high school English teacher for 14 years before transitioning into administration. She is currently the principal at Clay International Academy in South Bend, IN.

Her doctoral research deepened her desire to close the achievement gap, to provide equitable opportunities for all students, and to deepen educators’ knowledge and use of culturally responsive teaching practices. She is a Forty Under 40 class of 2013 and was named Teacher of the Year at Washington High School in 2013. She is also the recipient of the Grace E. Sullivan Award for Excellence in Secondary Education.

headshot of John Martinez, 2022 award winner

John Martinez has lived in South Bend for over 30 years. He is a proud resident on the City’s South Side, a husband and father.

Daily, John serves the community in building first-class public spaces and gives community members positive experiences in their own lives. Employed with the City and South Bend Venues Parks & Arts since 1993, John has worked in a variety of different roles in customer service and approachability. He believes in servant leadership and ensuring that his staff and customers are always receiving what they need to be successful in life.

Always going above and beyond, John plans to spend his remaining years continuing to contribute to South Bend and the community he loves in any way he can.

2023

headshot of Humberto Delgado, 2023 award winner

Humberto Delgado is the fifth born to Alfredo and Jacinta Delgado and is a native of Aguascalientes, Mexico. He attended elementary and one year of secondary school in his hometown, and was a very dedicated student earning several state wide achievement awards.

Humberto moved with his family to South Bend when he was thirteen years old.
He attended Clay Middle School as an eighth grader where he started to learn English and adapted to his new school and environment. It was a very difficult transition being in a new country, learning a new language and a new culture but he managed. The experience definitely left a mark that changed the course of his life and career. Humberto attended John Adams High School where he graduated Magna Cum Laude and was able to transition from an all ENL curriculum his freshman year to a regular curriculum by the time he graduated. He went on to enroll at Ivy Tech Community College where he earned an Associate’s Degree in Architectural Design Specialty, while working a full time job.

Humberto did not stop there. He then went into the workforce where he worked in drafting, retail, and office work. Also, saw an opportunity to attend Holy Cross College where he earned a double Bachelors’ Degree in Elementary Education with a certification in English Learners and in Visual Arts specializing in Studio Arts and was chosen class speaker.
Humberto joined La Casa de Amistad as a part time temp for their high school program. He quickly rose up the ranks and was promoted to Director of Youth Programs, supervising students from pre-school through high school, and shortly after that he became Assistant Executive Director.

After some time, he went back to school and was able to obtain a Master’s degree in Non-Profit Administration from the Mendoza School of Business from the University of Notre Dame. Humberto has worked for La Casa de Amistad for over 11 years now and loves working with students and families. He is very active in the South Bend community and has come to love and care for South Bend as his home. He is very passionate and proud about education and sharing.

headshot of Cecilia Lopez Monterrosa, 2023 award winner

Cecilia López Monterrosa is a proud Los Angeles native and has made South Bend, Indiana her home.
She graduated with a degree in Political Science and Law and Society from the University of California, Riverside and earned her law degree at Valparaiso University Law School. López Monterrosa is the managing attorney at the Monterrosa Law Group, LLC. headquartered in South Bend, where she practices federal and state criminal defense, family law, as well as immigration law nationwide.

She is one of two bilingual deputy public defenders for St. Joseph County and is also a 2016 recipient of Michiana’s 40 Under 40 award. A founding member of the Indiana Latino Bar Association, López Monterrosa also serves on the St. Joseph County Bar Association Board of Governors and is a past Board member of the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Delivery of Legal Services.

In August 2023, she was appointed as an adjunct professor of law at the University of Notre Dame Law School teaching the Public Defender Externship. At the same time, López Monterrosa began her studies at the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame and will receive her Master of Business Administration in 2025.

When she’s not serving her community, López Monterrosa loves to travel and explore new countries. She currently lives in South Bend with her husband, Rodolfo S. Monterrosa Jr.(Rudy Monterrosa), and two dogs, Foxxy and Oso.

2024

headshot of Susana Lagunas, 2024 award winner

Susana Lagunas is a highly skilled Family Nurse Practitioner with a strong commitment to providing patient-centered healthcare services to her community. She believes in taking a holistic approach to healthcare, addressing all aspects of a patient’s well-being, including physical, emotional, spiritual, cultural, and environmental factors. Working closely with the healthcare team, Susana ensures that patients have access to the resources they need to improve their health. She has received additional training in the treatment of HIV, hepatitis C, gender affirming care and substance use disorders.

In 2019-2020, Susana completed the Midwest AIDS and Training Center (MATEC) HIV Scholar program, leading to her specialization in HIV management through the American Academy of HIV Medicine. Currently, she works full-time at HealthLinc, an FQHC in Mishawaka, Indiana, where she focuses on ensuring LatinX populations receive high-quality healthcare services. She is actively involved with the Indiana Zip Coalition as an executive member of Zip Region 2, contributing to the state’s efforts to end the HIV/HCV epidemic. Additionally, she serves as an Adjunct faculty and mentor for the Indiana Hepatitis C Academic Mentorship Program (IN-HAMP), aiming to recruit Primary healthcare providers to treat HCV.

Recently, Susana has been expanding her knowledge in gender affirming care to better assist the LGBTQ+ community. Her special interests include addressing healthcare disparities, healthcare advocacy, and public health education with a focus on empowering vulnerable populations.

headshot of Ricardo Parra, 2024 award winner

Ricardo Parra was born in Kansas City. In 1970 he came to the University of Notre Dame for a conference. It inspired him to move here, becoming a board member and then staff member for the Midwest Council of La Raza. La Raza lent support to many organizations that supported the Latinx community throughout the Midwest.

Here in South Bend, the actions of Mr. Para and his wife Olga Villa, along with his colleagues at the Council helped form the El Campito day care center, as well as supporting El Centro, La Casa de Amistad, and others.

headshot of Amada Salazar, 2024 award winner

Amada Salazar was born and raised in South Bend, Indiana. She is a widow and a mother of three. Amada is a caseworker for the Truancy Prevention program at The CASIE Center where she advocates for the families of St. Joseph County to ensure they can access their services they need. She serves the most vulnerable, our children; seeking to protect and hold their voices up so they are heard. They provide comprehensive coordinated multidisciplinary team approach to the problem of child neglect and abuse by providing a safe, supportive, child-focused environment for victims.

Her joy and hope is found in the raising of her own children. Amada is an accomplished administrative professional with over 17 years of experience in the South Bend community. She has served our community through her work at our South Bend Community Schools since 2012. Amada has worked tirelessly to provide a welcoming bilingual environment for the children and families with our South Bend Community School Corporation throughout her time there, notable at our west side elementary school, Harrison Elementary. Previously, she worked as an Out of School Youth Case Manager at WorkOne, where she made a significant impact on local youth employment initiatives.