DALLAS, Oct. 8, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Southwest
Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV), in partnership with
the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU),
has awarded 187 students complimentary roundtrip air travel as part
of the ¡Lánzate!/Take Off! travel award program. The 2019
recipients are from 120 different schools across the country
ranging from freshman to graduate students. Each year,
¡Lánzate!/Take Off! provides roundtrip air travel for recipients
who meet socioeconomic and other criteria. A panel of judges
comprised of college professors and education advocates met to
select the recipients, who each were awarded four roundtrip tickets
to allow them to stay connected with their families throughout the
school year.
"Without the assistance of Southwest, my attempt to pursue an
undergraduate degree would have been nearly impossible," said
Jessica Arzola, a ¡Lánzate!/Take
Off! Travel Award alumna and student at New
York University (NYU). "I have
been, and always will be, incredibly grateful to Southwest
Airlines."
Through this national education initiative, HACU and Southwest
Airlines® together have unforgettably impacted students, their
communities, and their families during the past 15 years. Southwest
has championed Hispanic success in higher education since 2005, by
donating more than 4,000 tickets to students across the country for
traveling to and from school.
"Southwest's purpose is to connect People to what's important in
their lives," said Christine Ortega,
Southwest Airlines' Senior Advisor of Community Outreach. "The
lifeline of complimentary travel affords these college students an
ability to remain connected to support systems and their families,
while pursuing education toward their future success. Access to air
travel allows a student to focus on learning, and to attain a
college degree."
"HACU's partnership with Southwest Airlines in the ¡Lánzate!
Travel Program has kept college students connected with their
families for a decade-and-a-half," said HACU President and CEO
Antonio R. Flores. "Student success
often is dependent on support of families, and HACU and Southwest
Airlines are committed to ensuring young people have the
opportunity to reach their higher education goals for years to
come."
To learn more about how Southwest and HACU are closing the
achievement gap and showing young Hispanic students what is
possible with a quality education, visit here.
ABOUT HACU
The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, founded
in 1986, represents more than 500 colleges and universities in
the United States, Latin America, Spain, and school districts throughout the
U.S. The mission of HACU is to Champion Hispanic Success in Higher
Education. HACU is the only national association representing
existing and emerging Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). The
Association's headquarters are located in San Antonio, Texas, with regional offices in
Washington D.C., and Sacramento, California. Information is
available at www.hacu.net.
ABOUT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO.
In its 49th year of service, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines Co.
(NYSE: LUV) continues to differentiate itself from other air
carriers with exemplary Customer Service delivered by more than
59,000 Employees to a Customer base topping 130 million passengers
annually. Southwest became the nation's largest domestic air
carrier in 2003 and maintains that ranking based on the U.S.
Department of Transportation's most recent reporting of domestic
originating passengers boarded. In peak travel seasons, Southwest
operates more than 4,000 weekday departures among a network of 101
destinations in the United States
and 10 additional countries.
Southwest coined Transfarency® to
describe its purposed philosophy of treating Customers honestly and
fairly, and low fares actually staying low. Southwest is the only
major U.S. airline to offer bags fly free® to
everyone (first and second checked pieces of luggage, size and
weight limits apply, some carriers offer free checked bags on
select routes or in qualified circumstances), and there are no
change fees, though fare differences might apply.
Southwest is one of the most honored airlines in the world,
known for a triple bottom line approach that contributes to the
carrier's performance and productivity, the importance of its
People and the communities they serve, and an overall commitment to
efficiency and the planet. Learn more about how the carrier gives
back to communities across the world by visiting
Southwest.com/citizenship.
Book Southwest Airlines' low fares online at Southwest
Airlines or by phone at 800-I-FLY-SWA.
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SOURCE Southwest Airlines Co.