OLA Expands Scholarship Program With Local Businesses Through Creating Legacies Initiative

At the beginning this month, Organización Latino Americana launched the Creating Legacies Initiative. An expansion of its existing scholarship program for Latino youth on the East End, this new addition unites several local businesses in a shared commitment to support and invest in the futures of Latino students.

The original scholarship initiative, which to date has aided 25 students with multiyear scholarships for a variety of higher-education programs, started in 2019, and until recently was funded almost completely by OLA board member Michael Donovan and his wife, Linda Donovan.

Now, seven East End businesses are helping to fund the scholarships to bring in more resources and augment the already successful program. Scholarship recipients are chosen for their academic prowess, leadership abilities, commitment to volunteer work, artistic expression, and athletic accomplishments.

The sponsors of the Creating Legacies Initiative include Bilingual Law Practice, Four Oaks Cafe and Juice Bar, JPL Contractor Inc., Jimmy Jim’s Delicatessen, Saavedra and Perez Law, Montauk Market and MIAK’s Construction. In recent interviews, Isabel Saavedra, Johanna Sanchez and Pilar Quichimbo spoke about their businesses’ involvement in the initiative, and its importance.

Saavedra, an East Hampton High School graduate, first moved to the East End when she was 9 years old, living in Montauk and then East Hampton proper. For Saavedra, the scholarship initiative hits close to home.

“When I graduated from East Hampton High School in 2006, I was unable to access financial aid or apply to most scholarships due to my undocumented status,” she said. “One of my mentors encouraged me to write an essay for a private scholarship, and that scholarship made all the difference in my education since my family didn’t have the financial resources to cover my educational expenses.”

Yesenia Quichimbo, a real estate agent on the East End who was “instrumental in helping to launch this initiative,” according to OLA’s press release, went to high school with Saavedra. “When Yesenia approached our firm about this scholarship opportunity,” Saavedra continued, “I saw it as a perfect way to give back to my community, especially to young adults who are pursuing their education and facing similar barriers that I once faced.”

Saavedra, alongside Michelle Perez, is a founding attorney at Saavedra and Perez Law, an immigration law firm committed to legal advocacy, care and support for those fighting to obtain legal status. While the firm is based in Miami, its work extends throughout the East Coast.

“My business partner and I founded this firm because we wanted to be the immigration attorneys we wish we’d had during our own immigration journeys,” Saavedra said. “During our own immigration processes, we worked with attorneys who didn’t speak our language, didn’t take the time to explain the process, and didn’t make us feel like a priority. We knew there had to be a better way.”

Saavedra emphasized the important fact that these types of initiatives are not just about the money, but about people being seen, and stories being heard.

“When you’re an undocumented student or from an underrepresented community, you often feel invisible to institutions and organizations,” she said. “Having someone say, ‘We see you, we believe in you, and we want to invest in your future’ can be just as powerful as the financial support itself.”

Pilar Quichimbo founded Four Oaks Cafe in Southampton in 2018 after she graduated college. Her goal, she said, was to create something that combined her passions for community, nourishment and wellness.

“The cafe grew out of that vision, a space where people can take care of their health in simple everyday ways,” she said. “Our mission is health, consistency and community. Running a small business is long hours, but it’s deeply fulfilling to see the cafe become a place people love and rely on.”

Quichimbo also learned about the initiative through Yesenia, her sister, and though this is her first time working with the organization, she said she’s known about and admired their work for a long time. Now, she feels proud to be supporting that work.

For Quichimbo, the main motivator in supporting the initiative is education.

“Education has always been important to me,” she said. Having graduated with a degree in psychology, Quichimbo understands how education can open doors, create opportunities and shape one’s worldview.

“That’s why it means so much to support young Latino students in pursuing their own paths,” she continued. “The most fulfilling part is knowing the scholarship will help them with their tuition, books or any other academic need. If anything, I only wish we could help even more students in the future.”

Quichimbo added that she hopes her participation in the Creating Legacies Initiative inspires other business owners to get involved. “Even small contributions can create lasting impact when we work together,” she said.

Johanna Sanchez founded Bilingual Law Practice, based in East Hampton, after graduating cum laude from Touro College’s law program in 2020. Her business’s mission, she said, is “to empower immigrant families by providing both a voice and a strong advocate.”

“What I am most proud of is that the firm has become a safe and trusted space,” she continued. “When someone tells me, ‘Thank you for explaining this complicated process in a way that I could actually understand,’ I know I’ve done my job.”

Sanchez has worked with OLA in the past, and has been inspired through the years by the important work that the organization does.

“OLA has long been a cornerstone of advocacy and support for Latino families across the East End,” she said. “Their work fills crucial gaps for underserved communities, and it is always an honor to align with their mission.”

Sanchez emphasized that being a part of this initiative has been humbling, and is a good reminder of the power in coming together as a community.

“In a world that can often feel uncertain, programs like this restore hope and remind us of the power we each hold to make a difference,” she said. “When we act with intention and heart, we don’t just uplift individuals — we transform entire communities. I truly believe our greatest legacy is not what we achieve alone, but what we build together.”

While all three women had individual definitions of what it means to create a legacy, there was a common theme among their answers: planting small seeds of support will have big impacts in the future.

“I believe wholeheartedly in the ripple effect — that one act of generosity can inspire another, and another, until entire communities are lifted,” Sanchez said. “When we invest in someone’s future, we’re not just changing one life — we’re helping to shape families, communities, and generations to follow. That is legacy.”