The Society of Latin American Firefighters, the Capital Community College Alumni Association and Capital Community College Foundation are sponsoring two $1,000 scholarships beginning in the fall 2013 semester to Hispanic high school seniors from Hartford who plan to attend Capital Community College.

 The scholarships, which are awarded annually for two consecutive years, are being offered in memory of Julio Lozada, a 12-year-old boy who, because of a language barrier, could not be rescued in time from underneath a collapsed building in 1979. His death inspired a federal lawsuit that led to the hiring of the Hartford Fire Department’s first 24 Spanish-speaking firefighters in 1980, many of whom have helped establish the scholarship in memory of Julio Lozada.

 To qualify for the scholarships a student must be a resident of Hartford and a senior graduating from a high school in the Hartford Public Schools system.  Each applicant must also have a minimum 2.5 grade-point average, provide two recommendation letters, demonstrate financial need and compose a 200-word essay defining his or her academic goals.

 Applications for the scholarship are available from Capital Community College. Contact the Office of Financial Aid, Capital Community College, 950 Main Street, Hartford, CT 06103. Telephone 860-906-5090. E-mail: CA-finaid@ccc.commnet.edu

 The deadline for submitting applications is June 30, 2013.

The Lozada Scholarship Fund will be recognized at the CCC Foundation’s Changing Lives Gala, on Thursday, November 15th. For information on Scholarship giving and support of Capital Community College contact the Office of Institutional Advancement, Capital Community College, 950 Main Street, Hartford, CT 06103. Telephone: 860-906-5102; email jmcnamara@capitalcc.edu.