Gonzalez has cerebral palsy, and with her positive outlook she hopes to inspire others to feel empowered. At UCF, Gonzalez studies Latin American Studies and aspires to be a Spanish teacher.

“My motto is ‘We all have the wheel power to make change within our community.’ My goal is to show young women we can overcome anything with faith and if we believe in ourselves,” Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez is one of 10 women competing for the 2017 title. Contestants are reviewed in one-on-one interviews, on-stage interviews and on-stage speeches of their platform. A contestant also will be named “People’s Choice,” which will be determined by how many votes each contestant gets via the Ms. Wheelchair Florida website. Voting costs $1 and a portion of the proceeds will be divided between the state program and a personal care/travel fund for the titleholder. Voting ends Friday.

Gonzalez joined the Latin American Studies program in spring 2017 as a Knights Online student.

“She is currently enrolled in my Topics in Latin America class, where she has contributed significantly to the class through her active participation in the weekly discussions,” said Consuelo Stebbins, director of Latin American Studies at UCF.

The pageant is at 6 p.m. at ����ֱ�� of South Florida’s Marshall Student Center. Admission is free for students and $10 for others.

Ms. Wheelchair Florida is part of the Ms. Wheelchair America non-profit organization that aims to advocate for the estimated 56 million people living with disabilities in the United States.

UCF’s efforts to recruit, retain and graduate Hispanic students earned it a spot on the magazine’s list of 100 best colleges for bachelor’s degrees.

Using data from the U.S. Department of Education, Hispanic Outlook rated public and private universities throughout the country for its May 7 issue.

More than 1,600 Hispanic students earned their bachelor’s degrees from UCF in the 2010-2011 academic year. UCF awarded 220 master’s degrees to Hispanic students that year.

UCF also placed in the top 10 for degrees awarded to Hispanics in several categories. UCF ranked 10th for education; ninth for biological and biomedical sciences; sixth for business management and marketing; seventh for engineering and engineering technology; fourth for health professions and related programs; and fourth for psychology.

Hispanic Outlook is sent to high schools around the country with large Hispanic student enrollment to provide students and parents with information about what schools might offer them the best opportunities for higher education.

The rankings demonstrate UCF’s commitment to helping students of all backgrounds succeed. The university provides support services such as tutoring and counseling, and looks for innovative ways to engage students and their parents.

For example, UCF offers orientation sessions in Spanish for parents who feel more comfortable speaking their native tongue. In addition, UCF’s Board of Trustees last year approved an undergraduate program in Latin American Studies. The program, which began in the fall, prepares students to understand, study and work with Hispanic populations throughout the world.

The magazine named UCF one of the best 100 colleges in the United States for Hispanic students.

Using data from the U.S. Department of Education, Hispanic Outlook rated public and private universities throughout the country for its May 2 issue.

UCF was ranked 12th for undergraduate degrees awarded. The university also ranks among the top schools that work with Hispanic students to obtain master’s degrees.

More than 1,200 Hispanic students earned their bachelor’s degrees from UCF in the 2009-2010 academic year. Nearly 180 students received master’s degrees from UCF that year.

The magazine is sent to high schools around the country with large Hispanic student populations to provide students and parents with information about what schools might offer them the best opportunities for higher education.

UCF placed in the top 10 for degrees awarded to Hispanics in several categories. UCF ranked 10th for education, fifth for business and marketing, seventh for health services and sciences and ninth for psychology.

The rankings demonstrate UCF’s commitment to helping students of all backgrounds succeed. The university provides support services such as tutoring and counseling while looking for innovative ways to engage students and their parents.

For example, UCF offers orientation sessions in Spanish for parents of students who feel more comfortable speaking their native tongue. In addition, UCF’s Board of Trustees earlier this year approved an undergraduate program in Latin American Studies. The program, which will begin in the fall, will prepare students to understand, study and work with Hispanic populations throughout the world.