The Angélica and Bo Young High School Scholarship

In March 2007, Angélica and a group of friends drove from Alabama to Atlanta to attend the concert of a Venezuelan band.  That weekend, she met Bo Young at a social event.
A year later, they would get married and start a legacy of community work and philanthropic investments across communities.
During February, the month where we celebrate love and friendship, we share the love story of Angélica and Bo Young.
 
How did you meet?
A: We were at the Biltmore Hotel for a social event, he approached me and we started talking. At that time, Bo was living between New York and Atlanta and I was in Alabama.  We exchanged numbers and kept in touch via email and phone calls.  A month later, I traveled to Atlanta with my sister and best friend to meet him for a date. Every since that day we have been together.  He moved to Alabama so we could be together. 6 months later he took me to Paris and proposed to me at the top of the Eiffel Tower.  A year later we got married on Margarita Island, Venezuela.  In 2017, we celebrated our 10th anniversary of a happy marriage.  We have two amazing and beautiful children Abigail and Andrew Young IV “Jack”.
Angélica, what are your first memories or impressions when you first came to the US?

A: I remember it like it was yesterday even though it was in 1994.  I had always dreamed of visiting the U.S.  When we first came to the US we lived in Miami for about 9 months. I loved it there because everyone spoke Spanish, it was warm weather and we were near the beach very similar to home.  I was impressed by all the buildings and high rises, the organization, traffic and how different it was from where I am from in Venezuela.

Later, my mother, my brother, my sister and I moved to Tuscaloosa, Alabama.  My mother was attending the University of Alabama and doing the ELI  English Language Institute) while my siblings and I attended high school.  At the time we didn’t speak very much English.  It was a difficult and challenging transition for all of us. We were in a different country with a different language and different culture just the four of us.  It is an experience that will stay with me forever.
Tell us about where you come from, Angélica
A: I’m from Venezuela.  I grew up in Maracay a beautiful city which is 2 hours from the Capital and near the Caribbean Coast.  Maracay is beautiful, full of valleys and mountains.  Being near the coast, some of the most beautiful beaches are only 45 mins away. 

Bo, what are some priorities you have been working on?
B: I have been working on a number of development projects.  Atlanta is still a growing city and there are many areas inside the perimeter that are on their way to becoming prosperous.  One of the projects is Hotel Cameron on the Westside near Mercedes Benz Stadium.  A 100 room boutique hotel with a rooftop restaurant and bar. Additionally, we are exploring senior living facilities, multi-family housing, and unique workplace environments.  Additionally, through the Andrew Young Foundation, we are working on pilot programs with aquaponics, and duckweed to create opportunities for food security in the city but also across the world.

Why are you investing in education through your family scholarship? Tell us about the legacy you want to build.
A+B: In our family giving back is important. We want to impact the Latino Community directly and help provide opportunities for growth.  We want to help smart kids achieve their dreams to success here in the U.S. It is important to support and give back to our community and help one another especially youth minorities because we understand it’s not easy. We all have a role and responsibility in creating more opportunities for these young students.

Our scholarships will support Latino students under financial duress/stress who show an outstanding record for the school overall, including community service. 

What are some recommendations you have for families raising multicultural children?
A: As a Latina mother you must teach your children to be bilingual; it’s an imperative. There are so many benefits of learning / speaking two languages for children, not only they will be able to speak and connect with all sides of the family, it will incredibly useful academically and professionally. We have 2 beautiful bi-racial children and educating them to embrace the beauty of it, is of great importance to their development.

 What is your vision for Atlanta in the next 10 years?

A+B: Atlanta continues to grow into truly a world-class city. The city continues to become more multi-cultural and exceptionally tolerant of all backgrounds and beliefs.  We hope that Atlanta will continue to be a model for the world to see that everyone can live in harmony together as brothers and sisters of one race, the human race.

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Published by

Gilda (Gigi) Pedraza

Executive Director and Founder Latino Community Fund (LCF Georgia) Social Entrepreneur, Community Advocate, Latina, Mom, Wife. Lover of Life.

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