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McDonald's increases donation to college-bound Hispanic students

McDonald's USA made a donation to Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) to add a fifth RMHC/HACER National Scholarship to the existing four $100,000 awards, increasing its support to half a million dollars annually.

October 14, 2015

McDonald's USA made a donation to Ronald McDonald House Charities to add a fifth RMHC/HACER National Scholarship to the existing four $100,000 awards, increasing its support to half a million dollars annually. HACER stands for Hispanic American Commitment to Education Resources. With the financial support of this national scholarship, five Hispanic high school seniors will have the opportunity to make their college dreams a reality in fall 2016, according to a company press release.

Established in 2008, the national scholarship is awarded each year to college-bound Hispanic students by RMHC, with the exclusive support of McDonald's Hispanic owner/operators. Since then, $3.1 million in financial assistance has been awarded to 31 students across the country, the release stated.

"At RMHC, we understand the importance of education in creating life-long opportunities for students," said J.C. Gonzalez-Mendez, president and CEO of RMHC. "This scholarship is just one way we, along with McDonald's, are committed to helping Hispanic students reach their full potential."

National scholarship recipients are selected based on academic achievement, community involvement and financial need. The selection process includes a completed application and interviews with a panel of judges representing academia, business, media, RMHC and McDonald's, the release stated.

"Before receiving this scholarship, it was uncertain whether I would be able to attend Stanford University," said Gabriela Lomeli, one of four recipients of the 2014 national scholarship. "Having my college expenses taken care of allowed me to focus on my studies and experience Stanford at its fullest. I owe my incredible college experience so far to the RMHC/HACER National Scholarship for making it possible."

In addition to one more scholarship, McDonald's and RMHC will also be launching an alumni program designed to strengthen its support of past national scholarship recipients like Lomeli.

"The purpose of the program will be to not only connect the scholarship alumni to one another, but also to continue to offer opportunities for professional and personal growth," said Patricia Diaz, director of U.S. Hispanic Marketing for McDonald's USA. "We're committed to these outstanding alumni and their success beyond the scholarship."

The RMHC/HACER Scholarship was founded in 1985 by McDonald's owner/operator and former educator Richard Castro after noticing increasing school dropout rates among Hispanic students due to financial difficulties, the release stated. HACER is a part of the RMHC U.S. Scholarship program, which counts on the support of McDonald's Corporation, McDonald's Hispanic owner/operators and the community at large.

McDonald's has also partnered with the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute (USHLI) and CoolSpeak for the third consecutive year to present the USHLI Student Leadership Summit this fall, bringing motivational speakers and educational resources to high schools across the country.

College-bound high school seniors are encouraged to apply for the 2016 RMHC/HACER Scholarship, which includes local and national awards ranging from $1,000 to $100,000. Applications are available online at www.rmhc.org/rmhc-us-scholarships from Oct. 1 to Jan. 20, 2016.