Milka Duno Selected As An Ambassador For Univision's Es El Momento Initiative
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LOS ANGELES, February 28, 2011: Race car driver Milka Duno has been selected as an Es El Momento Ambassador for the second phase of Univision's highly successful, multi-platform education initiative, Es El Momento (The Moment is Now). The initiative's second phase highlights the importance of children having role models in their lives, encouraging parents to teach by example and instill in their children the importance of education, as the key to their success.
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The Es El Momento ambassadors were selected based on their outstanding achievements and inspirational stories of success that were positively impacted by the presence of their parents and role models. Es El Momento's second phase illustrates the inspirational journey of Hispanic individuals who were given the support and motivation needed to follow their dreams and aspirations. The campaign further underscores the importance of engagement and parents' and role models' presence in their children's lives to ensure academic achievement.
The 2010 Census is expected to show there are more than 50 million Hispanics in the U.S., and that overall, the population growth in the United States is being driven by the Hispanic community. Yet according to some of the latest research, Hispanic students across the country continue to lag behind in graduation rates compared to their non-Hispanic peers.
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"I'm very honored to have been selected as an ambassador for Es El Momento," said Duno. "I am very passionate about education and I want to do everything that I can to inspire young children and students to study hard and aim for the stars! My passion about this very worthwhile effort and my outreach via my Milka Way program are in wonderful harmony with the goals set forth in the Es El Momento initiative and I am very proud to be involved."
The second phase of Es El Momento presents a series of motivational Public Service Announcements (PSAs) featuring leading Hispanics, including race car driver and engineer, Milka Duno; composer, lyricist and Tony Award-winner, Lin-Manuel Miranda; NASA astronaut and engineer, José Hernández; and award-winning novelist, Sandra Cisneros.
Duno's parents were an incredible source of inspiration for her and through their own example of hard work and perseverance going to school while also raising Milka and her brothers in Venezuela. In Duno's Es El Momento PSA, airing now on Univision, Duno is featured along with her mother - also named Milka.
To view the PSA featuring Milka and her mother, please follow the link below:
An Es El Momento Special, titled Tu Ejemplo. Mi Inspiracion.(Your Example. My Inspiration), also featuring Milka and her mother, will air on Univision this Saturday, March 5 at 5pmEST/4pmC.
Duno has eight major career race wins to her credit - and her passion and determination to succeed on the track is equaled by her passion and desire to "give back" off the track. Duno is also a qualified Naval Engineer with four master's degrees - in Organizational Development, Naval Architecture, Aquaculture and Maritime Business - earning the last three degrees simultaneously.
Seven years ago Duno launched her "Milka Way"program - whose mission it is to inspire children and students to "Aim for the Stars" and achieve academic excellence. Duno has taken this message to children, students, parents and teachers at all school levels around the world - including her home country of Venezuela, Malaysia, Canada, all across the USA and in Peru, Colombia, Argentina, Chile, Guatemala, Mexico and Puerto Rico. Through these Milka Way appearances Duno strives to help inspire and motivate children, students and their parents and help them understand the importance of education - and how a strong academic background will benefit them their entire life - in all aspects of their life - and in any career they choose.
"I've been given many wonderful opportunities and I feel that it is a responsibility to make the most out of each and every one of them," added Duno. "My parents worked very hard to provide me with many educational opportunities and they were a tremendous source of inspiration for me. I have a strong desire to give back - to let others know that they too can achieve all of their dreams and to help in any way I can to motivate and inspire them - to take advantage of every opportunity and to make their dreams come true!"
About Sheltra Motorsports:
Sheltra Motorsports, established in 2007, is in the midst of its fifth season of ARCA Racing Series competition. Owned by Florida-native, Patrick Sheltra, the owner-driver team captured the 2010 ARCA Racing Series driver and owner's championship titles on the strength of two wins, 12 top-fives and 17 top-10 finishes in 20 events. Sheltra Motorsports is headquartered in Mooresville, N.C., with additional operations in Indiana and Florida. For more information, visit www.sheltramotorsports.com.
About Milka Duno:
Duno has eight major race wins in the highest classes (Prototype) in the American Le Mans Series and Rolex Series and the highest finish ever by a female driver (2nd Place) in the Rolex 24 at Daytona in the 48-year history of the race. Go, Milka, Go! - a book about her life and racing career, was awarded the Best Young Adult Sports/Recreation Book of 2009 at the 11th Annual International Latino Book Awards. In 2010, Duno became the first Venezuelan athlete inducted into the Latin American International Sports Hall of Fame.
Please visit Duno at Milka Facebook
