Ivan Cardenas, Payson High LIA Advisor, Received the Community Champion Award

Ivan Cardenas, the Latinos in Action (LIA) Advisor at Payson High School, recently received the Community Champions Award from Molina Healthcare.

Molina honored Ivan Cardenas for his volunteerism and service at the sixth annual Community Champions Awards Event at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center.

“Ivan’s drive to give back to his community is what makes him an important role model not only to his students but community members as well,” said Chad Westover, president of Molina Healthcare Utah. “He takes his job to the next level by teaching all those around him the importance of contribution and extending a helping hand.”

In addition to teaching his regular classes at Payson High School, Cardenas also teaches and directs the Latinos in Action class. His mission is to empower and inspire Hispanic Youth to give back to the community through fundraising efforts and charitable events. Some of the projects he led include collecting eggs from local businesses to host an Easter egg hunt, as well as toy drives for the Christmas Box International program and elementary schools in Payson. Cardenas started the class in the 2010-2011 school year with 35 enthusiastic students.
 
Students in Latinos in Action take  leadership courses. The students work like teachers' aids in the elementary schools helping any bilingual students increase their math and reading skills. The students attend conferences that help them meet other students and find out about colleges and scholarships. Also, the students perform community service to give back to their community.

Cardenas received a plaque and a $1,000 grant for the nonprofit organization of his choice at the Community Champions Awards Event. Six other champions from Utah received the award. Cardenas gave the $1,000 grant to the LIA program.

This award was established to honor the memory of Molina Healthcare’s founder Dr. C. David Molina, the Community Champions award program spotlights the good deeds of everyday heroes in their communities.  Molina Healthcare has been hosting the Community Champions Awards for seven years in the states that it operates.  The winners are nominated by community-based organizations and they also receive $1000 grants to give to deserving nonprofit organizations as part of their award. Cardenas presented his grant to Latinos in Action.