We are currently taking nominations for the Maria Zavala Award. Please click on the link below to review the criteria to nominate someone! The deadline to nominate a candidate is March 2, 2013.
Maria_Zavala_2013_Nomination_Criteria
The conference planning committee invites you to nominate candidates for our “Maria Zavala Founder’s Award.” This honor is awarded annually to a Latina woman who has consistently and unselfishly contributed to the Latina/o community in Michigan. Please submit your nomination along with a one-page letter of support to:
OCAT
ATT: Juan Flores
339 Student Services Bldg.
East Lansing MI 48824
Maria Zavala was an MSU Student from Holland, Michigan. Against all odds she managed to graduate MSU. Maria Zavala is a poet, activist, and feminist who believed that la mujer needed to be recognized for her contributions. She started the Dia De la Mujer Conference to meet the needs of her community. Since then Maria Zavala went on to work on her Masters. Maria Zavala was a victim of an accident with a gas stove, she was hospitalized for her injuries and has managed to make a full recovery. She is the true spirit of determination. She is a phenomenal Latina.
El Día de la Mujer Conference would never have become a reality without the perseverance and vision of a Chicana student and activist, María Zavala. Before its inception, María made known her disdain of the invisibility and marginalization of Chicanas. As an individual who toiled in the fields as a migrant worker and transitioned upon the steps of Michigan State University, she was well acquainted with the struggles and responsibilities of La Mujer Latina. Most importantly, she was well acquainted with the inner strength and tenacity of the Mujer Latina.
The idea of having a conference arose from her desire to have a day in which Chicana/Latina women would be recognized for their outstanding accomplishments at school, home, and work. The opportunity to recognize the contributions of noteworthy Latinas was long overdue! Thus, El Día de la Mujer Conference was created. Now in its nineteenth year the conference has grown from an evening reception which acknowledged the achievements of MSU Latina faculty and staff, to a successful one day conference, in which over 700 Latinas attended last year.
María Zavala has been a difference in the lives of Chicanas/Latinas and their families. She has tirelessly worked to improve her community and has invested her time, talent, and service to community projects. It is an honor to recognize her through the María Zavala Award. This award will be bestowed upon a Latina who has also demonstrated the same commitment and fortitude. We wish to recognize her vision, outstanding accomplishments, and contributions with this award. We share in her struggle to pave the way for the betterment of the Chicano/Latino community. Most importantly, we share in her triumphs and never forget those who preceded us.
Previous Maria Zavala Award Recipients
1994 Herminia Garcia-Ortega
1997 Maria Velasquez
1998 Gloria Gordillo
1999 Belda Garza
2000 Lupita Reyes
2001 Idali Felicano
2002 Diana Rivera
2003 Connie Navarro
2004 Penny Burillo
2005 Maria Rita Enriquez
2006 Elva Revilla
2007 Emily Diaz-Torrrez
2008 Dorothy Gonzales
2009 Elba Santiago Labonte
2010 Lucinda Briones
2011 Alejandra Zuniga
2012 Marylou Olivarez Mason