On The Red Carpet At Cosmopolitan For Latinas Fun, Fearless Awards
Earlier this week I had the pleasure of being the on-air correspondent for Cosmo.com at the Cosmopolitan For Latinas Fun, Fearless Awards. I’m so excited to share my behind the scenes moments with you!
In 2014 Latinas have been at the center of a fierce wave of change. Cosmopolitan For Latina is one publication that is celebrating this by honoring the 13 most important headline makers and industry shakers at the Fun, Fearless Awards.
The magazine's Editor-in-Chief Michelle Mulligan eloquently shared why she is so excited about the 2014 Awards.
”This night is all about a dream that I’ve had for a long time. Latinas are entrepreneurs and game changers, we get things done. We are a force of hope and inspiration for our families. This is my way of saying thank you.”
The event honored 13 fascinating individuals in the Latin community, including Fun Fearless Latina of the Year Demi Lovato, who have made outstanding strides in their fields over the past year. The honorees were chosen not only for reinventing their industries, but for their achievements that opened the door for the next generation of Latina men and women.
I got to interview so many #PowerLatinas and (one #PowerLatino too). The most interesting things was that the honorees and attendees were so professionally diverse. The night included celebs and notables in pop music, dramatic arts, philanthropy, publishing, military and politics.
The 2014 honorees in attendance included:
The Fighters: Going to battle for causes they have a personal stake in.
· Singer, Jasmine Villegas
· Immigrant Rights Innovator, Grisel Ruiz
The Re-inventors: Unsatisfied with one last definition of success, they knocked down new doors.
· Singer, Actress, and Author, Thalia
· Founder and CEO of Pipeline Fellowship, Natalia Oberti Noguera
The Educators: Obsessed with a need to fix failing systems, they give you the information and the tools you need to change the world.
· Executive director of the National Latina Institute of Reproductive Health, Jessica González-Rojas
· Founder of the Union City Music Project, Melina Garcia
The Disruptors: Shaking up old-school mindsets, they're changing the way things get done.
· Chef, Lorena Garcia
· Military Sexual Abuse Advocate, Regina Vasquez
The Pioneers: Daring to break new ground in their fields, nothing will stop these trail blazers from meeting their goals.
· Congressional hopeful, Amanda Renteria
· Media maven, Mario Lavandeira (Perez Hilton)
At the awards ceremony we were treated to acoustic performance by CoverGirl Becky G.
Next it was time for the awards! The speeches...it was so wonderful to hear an open and honest discussion of what it means to be Latina today. As the first female Latina Speaker of NY City Council, Melissa Mark-Viverito ave one of my favorite quotes of the evening stating "I am an unapologetic, bilingual feminista." Many of the speakers shared and mentioned the type of things that are generally taboo, especially in Latino community: alcoholism, sexual assault, depression and more. I was happy to hear that megastar Demi Lovato is making a commitment to raise awareness of Mental Health issues. I was so moved by many of the award winners that I couldn’t help but tear up. This resulted in losing one of my false lashes (don’t worry, I brought extra glue along in my CoverGirl makeup bag).
For more information on the honorees visit: Cosmo For Latinas
PS
A very special thank you to Elba at the John Frieda Salon for getting my hair red carpet ready in humid conditions and also to CoverGirl for providing me with some new beauty swag!