Findlay, Ohio, Sept. 16, 2004 – The University of Findlay will host the third annual Gift of Hope Hispanic Scholarship Benefit Dinner on Tuesday, Oct. 5 at 6 p.m. at the Hacienda Restaurant in Findlay.

Keynote speaker for the event is Sergio Troncoso, author of “The Last Tortilla and Other Stories” and “The Nature of Truth.” He will discuss “From Literacy to Literature: Family, Teachers and Education as the Keys to Success.”

Troncoso will also address “Beyond Aztlan: Mexican-Americans and the Struggle to Find a Place in American Literature” in the Winebrenner Theological Seminary TLB Foundation Convocation Center at 7 p.m. on Oct. 6. The lecture is free and open to the public.

A native of El Paso, Texas, Troncoso graduated from Harvard College and studied international relations and philosophy at Yale University. He was a recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship to Mexico, and he is a member of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund’s Alumni Hall of Fame. He serves on the Hudson Valley Writers’ Center’s board of directors. During the summers, he teaches a fiction-writing workshop at Yale.

Tickets to the dinner are $30. Also, corporations, organizations and individuals can sponsor tables at the benefit dinner. For more information, contact Ann Brossia at 419-434-4794 or brossia@findlay.edu.

The Gift of Hope Hispanic Scholarship was established by The University of Findlay’s undergraduate language and culture program to assist its students. The scholarship is awarded to an Hispanic or Latino student who is a permanent resident of the United States or a natural citizen of the United States with a major or minor in a foreign language or with an endorsement in TESOL or bilingual/multicultural studies.

The University of Findlay is a comprehensive university located in Findlay, Ohio, about 45 miles south of Toledo. With a total enrollment of 4,500 full-time and part-time students, The University of Findlay is noted for its innovative, career-oriented programs in more than 60 majors and eight master’s degrees. For more information, visit www.findlay.edu.