Sofia Palacios a senior at Rye Neck High School, has received a Youth Awards scholarship from the Hispanic Heritage Foundation. The program honors Latino high school seniors for their excellence in various categories. Palacios received the bronze award in the business and finance category in a region covering Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont. 

Her teachers praise her for being “motivated, hardworking, committed, and diligent.” She has received numerous awards and distinctions in a course load of Advanced Placement classes. Throughout high school, she has developed and honed her interest in marketing and immersed herself in the field.”  

Palacios has participated in Columbia University’s marketing summer internship program and worked as an intern at a Wall Street investment firm. She’s currently engaged in a project, in collaboration with a local cable television station and the Mamaroneck mayor’s office, to foster positivity within the community and combat the effects of social isolation during the pandemic.  

In college, she plans on majoring in marketing and participating in community service projects with the hope of assisting lower-income individuals break language barriers. Coming from a multicultural Hispanic family, Palacios has lived in different parts of the world, learning how to speak Chinese, English, and French. 

“Cultural immersion has been a major part of my life,” Palacios said. “In college, I’ll strive to continue giving back to the community, and I am excited to use my business education for the betterment of society.”  

• Photo courtesy of the Rye Neck Union Free School District