A Packed House, A Missing Emcee, and a Community That Refused to Miss a Beat

At Lozafina, when we help plan an event, we believe in preparation.

We create the run of show. We build the script. We assign volunteer duties. We prepare check-in lists. We place speakers and presenters. We think through the order, the timing, the transitions, and the details most people never see.

For the 2026 Hispanic Academic Challengers of Excellence Awards, the plan was clear. The evening was scheduled from 5 p.m. to 7:35 p.m. at Buena Vista High School, with Mariachi Andariegos opening the celebration, presenters placed by 5:45 p.m., and a full program designed to honor Latino student achievement with care and dignity.

But if you have ever planned a live event, you know this truth: a run of show is the roadmap. The people in the room are what make the night work.

And this year, those people were incredible.

More than 511 family members filled Buena Vista High School to celebrate their loved ones. The room was packed. Families filled the seats, lined the standing areas, and stayed present for every name, every certificate, every proud walk across the stage.

The night was full, beautiful, and deeply moving.

It also came with a major last-minute change: our emcee was unable to attend.

That is when Rita Rodriguez stepped in.

Rita, who was originally scheduled as one of our certificate readers, immediately shifted into the emcee role and helped carry the entire ceremony forward. She read from the prepared script, kept the program moving, added humor at just the right moments, and brought a calm, cool, and collected presence to the stage.

It made sense the moment she took the mic.

Rita is a Bilingual Media Specialist at Omaha Public Power District and the founder of Monarkia Institute. Before that, she spent more than 10 years with NRG Media, including time as an on-air talent and as an account executive. Her background was exactly what the moment needed. She knew how to read the room. She knew how to guide an audience. She knew how to keep going.

And she did it beautifully.

Because Rita stepped into the emcee role, another leader stepped forward.Stephanie Guzman, a UNO student and member of Lambda Theta Nu Sorority, Inc., filled Rita’s original role as the first reader, announcing the names of student award recipients with confidence and care.

That is what community looks like.

We are also deeply grateful to Pastor Portia Cavitt of Clair Memorial United Methodist Church, who opened the ceremony with a prayer and blessing over the evening. The original script called for her to begin the program by offering a blessing, and she helped set the tone for a night centered on students, families, and gratitude.

A special thank you also goes to Tony Aguilera of the Barrientos Scholarship Foundation. Tony was originally set to assist principals with placing sashes on honored students, but when another reader was not in attendance, he stepped into the reading role without hesitation. He shifted where he was needed, helped keep the ceremony moving, and reminded us how powerful it is when people come ready to serve, not just fill a title.

We also want to thank Dolores Bangert of the Barrientos Scholarship Foundation for her support throughout the evening, and the 14 sisters of the Omicron Chapter of Lambda Theta Nu Sorority, Inc., who helped check in students and families. Their presence, professionalism, and organization helped keep the front end of the event moving smoothly as families arrived and students prepared to be recognized.

The evening included so many people who gave their time, leadership, and heart.

Thank you to Senator Margo Juarez, Nebraska Legislator; Viridiana Almanza Zavala, Omaha Public Schools Board Member; Jannette Castro-Gomez, President of Lambda Theta Nu Sorority, Inc.; Javier Rodriguez-Miller of Omaha Public Schools; Dr. Jamar Dorsey Sr., CAAAC Chair; Yuriko Doku, MPA, MS, of UNO’s Office of Latino/Latin American Studies; Vanessa Martinez Hernandez of the Barrientos Scholarship Foundation; and Itzel Lopez of the Latino Economic Development Council. The script and run of show were built to recognize these leaders as part of the evening’s head table and program support.

Thank you to the certificate readers and presenters who helped honor each student by name. Thank you to the volunteers who handled check-in, movement, questions, and all the behind-the-scenes needs that make a packed ceremony feel organized.

Thank you to our partners: Omaha Public Schools, New Era Baptist Church Convention, Clair Memorial United Methodist Church, Lozafina Marketing and Public Relations, Lambda Theta Nu Sorority, Inc., Monarkia Institute, the Barrientos Scholarship Foundation, the Latino Economic Development Council, and UNO’s Office of Latino/Latin American Studies. These were among the organizations recognized in the program for helping make the evening possible.

And thank you to the Community Academic Achievement Awards Committee members whose leadership continues to make this celebration possible: Crystal Boyd,Dorothy Johnson, Dr. Jamar Dorsey Sr., Javier Rodriguez-Miller, Josefina Loza, Pastor Portia Cavitt, Sherie Thomas, and Tamara Bailey.

The original plan had us ending at 7:35 p.m.

Because everyone stepped up, stayed flexible, and worked together, the ceremony ended smoothly at 7:10 p.m.

That is no small thing.

When more than 500 family members gather to celebrate students, when the room is standing-room only, when the emcee is suddenly unavailable, and when people still move with grace, humor, and purpose. Now, that is success.

The 2026 HACE Awards were not just a celebration of Latino student achievement. They were a reminder of what happens when the community shows up prepared, willing, and ready to help.

To every student honored: We are proud of you.

To every family who filled that room: thank you for showing up so loudly and lovingly.

And to every volunteer, presenter, reader, committee member, and community partner who stepped in where needed: thank you.

You made the night work.

And you made it beautiful.