David Araya and Angela Hurtado's idea to inspire Hispanic and Latino teenagers first materialized on a yellow napkin in a restaurant near the University of North Georgia's (UNG) Gainesville Campus. In black ink, they wrote the word "hope" as they considered ideas for an organization to give students resources and a leadership platform at their high schools.
"There was this fire in us to want to give back," Araya said.
That was January 2009, and they officially launched Hispanic Organization Promoting Education (HoPe) as a nonprofit in November 2009. A decade later, the husband-and-wife duo lead an organization that has grown from one school — North Gwinnett High School — to 60 high schools with 240 student leaders and 3,700 students.
The couple met when they were students at UNG's Gainesville Campus, when Hurtado was an orientation leader and Araya was a new student. Hurtado earned an associate degree in political science from UNG in 2009. Araya finished an associate degree in business administration a year later.
Araya, president and CEO of HoPe, said the program's mission is to equip students who want to give back to their communities but feel unable to do so. Hurtado, vice president and chief operating officer of HoPe, said the organization's model helps students become leaders and pass those skills to others.
"It's so beautiful to see one leader grow more leaders who grow more leaders," Hurtado said. "It's the power of multiplication."
At UNG, Araya was in the Goizueta Scholars program, which supports the academic success and leadership development of the Hispanic or Latino heritage students through financial assistance, group activities, mentorship, personalized advising, and community service opportunities. He knows many people see a leadership role as the pinnacle, but he has a different view.
"Once you have a leadership position, some people see that as an end," Araya said. "That's really the beginning. That's nowhere near the real impact you can have."
Hurtado said HoPe's leadership model seeks to call out the best in students and encourage them to do the same with others.
"What it means to me is being able to look into an individual and help them see who they are and unleash the best version of themselves," Hurtado said.
Araya and Hurtado do not rest on their previous success with HoPe. Their goal is to reach 100,000 students in 1,000 high schools around the country by 2030.
Araya appreciates the chance to see HoPe students attend UNG and other colleges and universities and become leaders in student organizations.
"It's humbling to know that you played a role in that, and it's exciting to see where they're headed," Araya said. "We get to see students reach their potential in leadership and educationally. They're changing families and generations to come."
