Guadalupe Center has added three new members to its Board of Trustees, including a former student who returned to Immokalee after graduating from college.
Maria Munguia Cortes, Liz Curtin and Susan Duke have joined Guadalupe Center’s governing body, which offers oversight for the education-focused nonprofit and advocates for students and families in Immokalee.
Cortes is a 2016 graduate of Guadalupe Center’s college-preparatory Tutor Corps Program who attended Wartburg College in Iowa on scholarships earned through Guadalupe Center. She returned to Immokalee and now serves as management trainee in community relations for Lipman Family Farms in Immokalee.
Curtin is an active community volunteer who is currently a co-mentor in the Tutor Corps Program, sharing her experiences, insights and advice with an Immokalee High School student. She also serves on the University of Notre Dame’s Undergraduate Experience Advisory Council.
Duke is a dedicated philanthropist whose charitable causes focus predominantly on education, children and families, basic needs, faith-based needs, health and hygiene, disaster relief and refugee relief. A former foster parent, Duke served as a court-appointed child advocate for youth in the child welfare system.
“We’re excited to welcome these three incredibly talented women to our Board of Trustees,” said Dawn Montecalvo, president of Guadalupe Center. “Their insight and leadership will be invaluable as Guadalupe Center expands its programs to provide additional students with access to high-quality educational programs.”
Guadalupe Center offers a nationally accredited Early Childhood Education Program, After-school Tutoring & Summer Enrichment Program and Tutor Corps Program. The nonprofit serves more than 1,400 students annually and will grow in early 2022 with the opening of the van Otterloo Family Campus for Learning. Guadalupe Center’s mission is breaking the cycle of poverty through education for the children of Immokalee.
