She was a founding student member of the Bolívar Network in 1997, now, 24 years later she’s helping lead the charge in the Network’s revival
Gina M. Flores Stumpf (’00) was in her second year at the University of Virginia when she helped found the Bolívar Network, the University’s Hispanic and Latino/a/x Alumni Network, alongside other students and alumni. A Spanish Literature and Commerce double major, Gina discovered her passion and calling through her extracurricular involvements, advocating for the Latinx community in various leadership roles for one of the Latinx student groups on Grounds and as a three-year resident of La Casa Bolívar. Her early student leadership activities would shape the trajectory of her career as she continued her commitment to serving her community through various positions at non-profits and earning an M.B.A. in nonprofit management and marketing from Yale.
From early on, Gina realized the importance of the Network’s scholarships in creating a sustainable and lasting impact on Latinx students and the alumni community. She recounts how, “fundraising for these scholarships gave our alumni events meaning and solidified the connection among alumni and students.” In 2010, she received the Young Alumni Service Award for her service to the Bolívar Network and now, in 2021, as part of the Network’s revival and re-engagement efforts, she co-chairs the Fundraising & Development committee. Her time managing corporate relations at UnidosUS (formerly the National Council of La Raza), and leading fundraising at the Smithsonian Latino Center, The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars, and currently SkillsUSA, have been vital to the Network and the resurgence of the First-Year Scholarship Fund launched in 2009. With renewed alumni pledges made this year by Hernando Herrera (’89) and Jenny Willier Murphy (’89), the First-Year Scholarship Fund has surpassed a balance of $30,000 with its first disbursement being made this spring. Gina hopes to continue supporting the next generation of Latinx student leaders and create support systems to strengthen the resilience of the community both on and off Grounds.