WFC Wells Fargo and Company

LOS ANGELES, July 7, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF), the nation's largest not-for-profit organization supporting Hispanic American higher education, is kicking off the summer with their annual Youth Leadership Institute (YLI) programs; a series of four-day, overnight conferences for outstanding Latino high school juniors, which will take place in four cities across the U.S.

Each city will host 150 Latino high school juniors, who are selected through a competitive application process. This college empowerment conference is designed to give these young leaders the practical tools they need to successfully apply to top universities, have full access to scholarship and financial aid opportunities, and set a course for academic and career success.

Attendees will enhance their leadership abilities and start their own professional networks by participating in college and career workshops, living on a college campus, and interacting with college students and professionals who serve as their mentors.

The average GPA of last year's combined cohort was 3.7, and participants have gone on to some of the nation's best colleges. Additionally, 10 have been selected as GMS Scholars and many others are awaiting news of on their applications for HSF Scholarships.

"The Youth Leadership Institute changed my perspective on college, encouraging me to set higher goals and have the confidence to achieve them," said Ivan Delatorre, of his experience in last year's YLI program in Los Angeles. He will be attending University of California, Los Angeles in the fall.

"We want to prepare the student for what it will be like on a college campus and expose them to a network of leaders with insights and wisdom to share," said Fidel A. Vargas, President & CEO, Hispanic Scholarship Fund. "With the continued support of our Presenting Partner Wells Fargo, we are able to empower more exceptional students than ever, nurture their leadership skills, and prepare them to be leaders in their communities."

"Wells Fargo has been a proud supporter of the work that the Hispanic Scholarship Fund does. The Youth Leadership Institute is just one more way that HSF is making higher education more available to students across the country," said Georgette "Gigi" Dixon, Director of Strategic Partnerships, Wells Fargo. "This continued partnership with HSF gives us the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of so many young people and continue to emphasize the importance of education."

The YLI series will launch this July at the University of California, Davis, reprise at The University of Texas at Dallas, then Marymount University in Arlington, VA, and, finally, The University of Chicago. Below please find the complete schedule:

For more information about the Hispanic Scholarship Fund and the YLI programs please visit: HSF.net

About the Hispanic Scholarship Fund
Founded in 1975, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund empowers Latino families with the knowledge and resources to successfully complete a higher education, while providing scholarships and support services to as many exceptional Hispanic American students as possible. HSF strives to make college education a top priority for every Latino family across the nation, mobilizing our community to proactively advance that goal – each individual, over a lifetime, in every way he/she can. HSF seeks to give its Scholars all the tools they need to do well in their course work, graduate, enter a profession, excel, help lead our nation going forward, and mentor the generations to come. As the nation's largest not-for-profit organization supporting Hispanic American higher education, the Fund has awarded over $470 million in scholarships and provides a range of ancillary programs for students, HSF Scholars, Alumni, and parents. For more information about the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, please visit: HSF.net. 

About Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a nationwide, diversified, community-based financial services company with $1.7 trillion in assets. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo provides banking, insurance, investments, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance through more than 8,700 locations, 12,500 ATMs, and the internet (wellsfargo.com) and mobile banking, and has offices in 36 countries to support customers who conduct business in the global economy. With approximately 266,000 team members, Wells Fargo serves one in three households in the United States. Wells Fargo & Company was ranked No. 30 on Fortune's 2015 rankings of America's largest corporations. In 2014, Wells Fargo donated $281.2 million in grants to 17,100 nonprofits, and team members volunteered 1.74 million hours around the country. Wells Fargo's vision is to satisfy all our customers' financial needs and help them succeed financially. Wells Fargo perspectives are also available at Wells Fargo Blogs and Wells Fargo Stories.

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SOURCE Hispanic Scholarship Fund