LCAC and LSP: 35 Years of Supporting Hispanic Students at the University of South Florida

With over 700 alumni, more than $4 million in scholarships awarded, the USF Latin Community Advisory Council and Latino Scholarship Program are still changing lives after 35 years

Rafael Gonzalez, Esq., Chair USF President Latin Community Advisory Council

Anyone who knows me well knows that I believe in education. In my humble opinion, a higher education is the single most important asset in order to reach the American dream. For Hispanics, and especially those that are immigrants to this great and wonderful country, a higher education is a must.

I believe in education. Education changes lives. An education changes not only the trajectory of the student's life, but also his or her family's economic well being, and an entire community's future. A higher education changed my life and my family's trajectory.

Having graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelors degree and from Florida State University with a law degree, I am eternally grateful for these wonderful institutions giving me the tools with which to succeed, to prosper, to grow, to become. It is the reason why I have given and continue to give back to both institutions in every way possible. It is also the reason why I have chosen to volunteer my time and donate my resources to an institution of higher learning right here in my own home town, the University of South Florida.

After serving as President of the FSU College of Law Alumni Association and serving on its Board of Directors for a number of years, I decided I wanted to make a difference and avail other Hispanic students of the same opportunity in my own home town. So, over the last 30 years, under 4 different USF Presidents, it has been my incredible honor and privilege of serving the University of South Florida by volunteering, teaching, and mentoring.

That’s right USF! Go Bulls! Although I did not attend and therefore do not have a degree from USF, over the last 30 years, I have become more and more engaged, active, and involved with USF. From serving as a guest lecturer/adjunct at the USF College of Public Health, to speaking at USF Black Alumni and Hispanic Alumni events, to now chairing the Latin Community Advisory Council and serving on the Status of Latinos Presidential Advisory Committee, to becoming active with the USF Faculty and Staff Alianza Latina, I am all in!

As I have continued to see our local Hispanic community grow, and the number of Latino students also increase significantly, proud to be able to help USF lead the way to better serve our community, our state, our nation, and the world by providing great programs and opportunities for our Hispanic students at USF. The more involved I have become, the more I wanted to help spread the word and bring in more donors to our scholarship program in order to make more dreams come true.

The University of South Florida Latin Community Advisory Council

Since serving on the executive board of the Latin Community Advisory Council, I have been part of and have helped to grow the number of scholarships awarded by the Latino Scholarship Program. During the 2021-2022 school year, the USF Latino Scholarship Program awarded 142 scholarships; during 2022-2023 school year, 156 scholarships, during 2023-2024 school year, 162 scholarships; and if all goes as planned during 2024-2025 school year, we are planning on awarding 192 scholarships to deserving Latino students to attend USF, the most ever in the program's history, and the largest increase in the number of scholarships awarded.

The Latin Community Advisory Council and the Latino Scholarship Program have a rich and wonderful history, as USF’s fourth president, Dr. Frank Borkowski, established the Latin Community Advisory Council in 1988. The founding chair of the committee was none other than the Hon. E.J. Salcines, one of Tampa’s legal icons, and a personal mentor to so many of us in Tampa’s legal community.

Since then, the committee’s mission has been to serve as a bridge between USF and the Hispanic community; to advocate on behalf of all Latinos who are members of the of the USF system including students, faculty, staff, administrators, and suppliers; to assist USF in increasing the number of Hispanic faculty and decision-making administrators, the number of Hispanic students enrolling and completing their degree at USF, and the number of Hispanics holding leadership positions at USF; and to inform USF about the needs and value of Hispanics in order to respond to the impact of the growing Hispanic population in our community, state, and nation.

The committee serves at the pleasure of the President of USF. The committee’s purpose has always been and continues to be to advise the President on USF issues, programs, and initiatives, both internal and external, as they relate to Hispanics. In addition, the committee assists the President in linking various Hispanic organizations and individuals in the community, locally, regionally, and internationally, for purposes that will further USF’s mission and strategic plan. The committee assists the President by serving as champions of USF in the Hispanic community, and in recognizing Hispanics through appropriate University channels. And, of course, the committee provides support and advocacy for the continued success and growth of the USF Latino Scholarship Program.

The University of South Florida Latino Scholarship Program

In 1992, Dr. Braulio Alonso, Adela Gonzmart,  Dr. Adrienne Garcia,  and Dr. Remember Maceo-Gomez committed to improving the Hispanic student pipeline to USF by creating a scholarship program. Paola Sequeira became the Latino Scholarship Program’s first recipient, ultimately graduating USF with honors, and obtaining a degree in medicine. She now practices internal medicine at the University of Southern California Medical Center in Los Angeles.

By year three, the scholarship program awarded 28 scholarships, thanks especially to the fundraising efforts of Dr. Hernan Leon. Within the first 10 years, 14 Latino organizations and individuals pledged or funded endowments exceeding $800,000 to the scholarship program, including La Gaceta,  the Tampa Tribune, the Krew of the Knights of Sant’ Yago Education Foundation, the Florida Lottery,  and the Gonzmart family, who remain a steadfast and proud champion of this magnificent program.

In 2008, the Helios Foundation provided the scholarship fund with $2.5 million, the largest single gift in the history of the program. Today, after 32 years, the program has more than 700 alumni, more than $4 million in scholarships awarded, 29 endowments exceeding $5.5 million, and a graduation rate of nearly 100% for all scholarship recipients throughout the life of the program. Unbelievable, but true. The program is now an example of what Hispanic community business leaders can do to provide better opportunities for their Latino students.

The program has been well supported by the various USF administrations over the years. Donna Perrino served as Director of the Latino Scholarship Program for its first 10 years. Patsy Sanchez lead the program for the next 20 years. Flor Martinez has been managing the program for the last 2 years. They have all assisted the LCAC to identify issues, create programs, advise the President, and ultimately help Hispanic students at USF graduate, succeed, accomplish, and become.

Join Us

Our committee is always looking for community members who want to engage, who want to lead, who want to make a difference, who wish to commit to improving the lives of our Hispanic students and their families. If you are interested in joining us, please contact me. And our scholarship program is always looking for new donors who can financially support these incredible students, the next leaders of our community, the next entrepreneurs, the next scientists, the next teachers, the next physicians, the next lawyers, the next public servants or elected officials. If you are interested in giving, establishing a scholarship, or endowing a fund, please contact me.

About Rafael Gonzalez, Esq.

Rafael earned his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Florida, and his Jurisprudence Doctorate degree from the Florida State University. He has over 40 years of experience in the legal and insurance industries. He is currently a partner in Cattie & Gonzalez, PLLC, a national law firm serving clients in all 50 states, focused on Medicare and Medicaid secondary payer law and compliance in auto, bodily injury, liability, mass tort, medical malpractice, nursing home, no-fault, products, workers compensation, and wrongful death claims and litigated cases.

Rafael was appointed by Hillsborough County Commissioner and now US Representative Kathy Castor to its Human Relations Council, by Mayors Pam Iorio and Bob Buckhorn to the City of Tampa Mayor’s Hispanic Advisory Council, and by Governors Charlie Crist and Jeb Bush to the Florida Vocational Rehabilitation Council. He has also served on the Board of Directors of Tampa Hispanic Heritage, Inc., the Tampa Bay History Center, the Tampa Hispanic Bar Association, and the Tampa Bay Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Although he is not a USF alumnus, he has admittedly fallen in love with USF, and the manner in which it has embraced Tampa’s Hispanic community. As a result, perhaps his most important community service has been rendered at the University of South Florida, where he has taught workers’ compensation, social security, and Medicare/Medicaid at the USF Department of Vocational Rehabilitation, USF Department of Occupational Medicine, USF College of Public Health, and USF College of Medicine for over 25 years.

Throughout this time, he has served under USF Presidents Betty Castor, Judy Genshaft, Steven Currall, and Rhea Law on various task forces, committees, and councils. While serving in these, he has helped raise over $4 million for the USF Latino Scholarship Program, which has awarded scholarships to over 700 undergraduate students. He currently serves as Chair of the Latin Community Advisory Council, and on the Status of Latinos Advisory Council, and Alianza Latina Faculty & Staff Association.

Rafael can be reached at www.cattielaw.com, 844.546.3500 or at rgonzalez@cattielaw.com. You may also reach out to him on social media, as he is active on linkedin, twitter, facebook, instagram, and youtube.