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HISPANIC OUTREACH PERSONALIZED APPROACH (HOPA) 2026
Part of the College/Career programs supported by Incline Education Fund
Contact Ana Porras or Lourdes Avenier for more information
We're excited that the HOPA Program at IHS has doubled in size for the 2025-2026 school year! With twice as many mentors, we are able to serve a wider population of students in our Hispanic community. Throughout the academic year, students will receive one-on-one coaching from local leaders in areas such as college and career exploration, scholarships and financial aid, essay preparation, internships and many more. Last week, we launched our introductory meetings for the 2026 cohort. These personalized in-take sessions, that are conducted after school at IHS, give mentors an opportunity to meet their mentees face-to-face and develop together a goal and action plan for their mentorship. We want to congratulate the students who were selected by their teachers for this program as well as thank our amazing mentors for their time and dedication. If you're interested in becoming a mentor, please reach out to Lourdes Avenier at lourdes.avenier@hotmail.com or to nominate a student candidate to Ana Porras at ana.porras@washoeschools.net
🎓✨ Celebrating the HOPA Class of 2025! ✨🎓
On March 25, we proudly celebrated the graduation of the 2025 HOPA Senior Cohort! Please join us in congratulating Emily Suarez, Valeria Morales, Elisabeth Vigil Lopez, Maria Ramirez Avila, and Christopher Ibarra on completing their HOPA journey and taking the next bold steps toward higher education. 💚
These remarkable students were supported by the dedicated mentorship of Tom Milhoff, Lu Sweeney, Rick Sweeney, Ed Yarish, and Nancy Porten—individuals who gave their time, wisdom, and heart to help guide our seniors to this milestone.
One graduate shared:
“I thought high school would be the end of the road for me. But thanks to HOPA, I learned to plan ahead, explore my future, and now I’m heading to the University of Nevada, Reno! My mentor helped me discover my interests and apply for financial aid to make college a reality.”
This is the power of HOPA—personalized mentorship that changes lives and uplifts our Hispanic community at Incline High School, one student at a time.
A heartfelt thank you to the Incline Education Fund and the AAUW for believing in this mission and helping it grow. 💫
#HighlanderPride #HOPAGraduates #MentorshipMatters #InclineHS #CollegeBound #IHSClassof2025
Congratulations to all of the 2024-25 HOPA members
The HOPA program was launched at Incline High School in the Fall of 2023. This program’s mission is to provide an organized framework to build a personalized program to strengthen mentoring relationships between the Hispanic student population at IHS and the local community of professionals.
Under the sponsorship of the Incline Education Fund and with the support of AAUW Tahoe Nevada, the HOPA Program has reached new heights by successfully recruiting this year’s cohort of students who will be mentored by Incline’s community leaders. Candidates were nominated by their teachers based on skills and values such as academic achievement, leadership, volunteering and interest in joining the program. HOPA’s selection committee handpicked students from grades 10 to 12 to be matched with a mentor from a pool of very talented professionals based on common interests and areas of expertise.
We are incredibly grateful to this talented group of mentors for dedicating their time and effort to support our students in their post- high school education paths, college essay building, community service work and other important areas that showcase their mentees’ abilities. Special thanks to Amy Berry, Ian Brooks, Sara Hillman, Tom Milhoff, Nancy Porten, Lu and Rick Sweeney and Ed Yarish for mentoring our ’24-’25 HOPA cohort.
For nominations or exploring mentorship opportunities, please contact Ana Porras at ana.porras@washoeschools.net (for mentees) or Lourdes Avenier at lourdes.avenier@hotmail.com (for mentors)
Chris Ibarra and his mother, Lupe, recently toured California State University, Sacramento, and UC Davis, accompanied by HOPA mentor Tom Millhoff. The college visits were not only memorable but also provided valuable insights into higher education opportunities. We extend our gratitude to mentors like Mr. Millhoff, who generously invest their time and expertise to support our promising HOPA scholars. Social capital plays a crucial role in shaping student success, and Incline Village is fortunate to have such dedicated community members committed to empowering the next generation's future.
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