Biography of Auri Duarte
Auri Duarte is the scholarship program manager for the Hispanic College Fund, a nationally
renowned non-profit whose mission is to develop the next generation of Hispanic
professionals. As scholarship program manager, Auri ensures that all portions of the $1.8
billion scholarship program run effectively and efficiently. Primary responsibilities include
managing the full scholarship cycle of more than 40,000 applicants and serving as HCF
Scholars’ primary point of contact throughout the year.
Auri joined the Hispanic College Fund as an intern in 2006. Since then, she has provided students academic
support through HCF’s various programs, including the Hispanic Youth Symposium, Hispanic Young Professionals
Program, and HCF Connections.
A first-generation college graduate, Auri’s own understanding of linguistic, cultural, and financial barriers facing
Hispanics, drives her passion to help young people reach their full potential through education. Auri is currently a big
sister for a 14 year old Latina teenager through the Big Brother/Big Sister program. Auri also teaches English as a
Second Language (ESL) to non English-speaking adult students in the District of Columbia. Auri regularly presents
workshops on Financial Aid to underserved Hispanic students throughout the Washington D.C. area.
Bilingual in English and Spanish, Auri was born in California and raised in El Salvador until 1994. At the age of 15 Auri
became part of the foster care system in Washington, D.C. She understood that the only way to succeed in life was to
go to college and obtain a degree. In 2007, Auri earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Trinity University
in Washington, D.C. In April 2008, Auri won the Marion Flagg Scholarship through the Potomac and Chesapeake
Association for College Admissions Counseling (PCACAC)—this scholarship is awarded to a tireless advocate for
underrepresented student populations who champions the values and traits of the scholarship’s namesake.
September 2008