WESTFIELD, PLAINFIELD, and PASSAIC, NEW JERSEY – June 23, 2026

More Than Bootstraps (MTB), a New Jersey non-profit organization, is thrilled to announce its continued partnership with the Governor’s Hispanic Fellows Program, the selective fellowship that combines a paid internship with professional development, including guest presentations by leading professionals as well as other unique skill-building opportunities. The Governor’s Hispanic Fellows Program provides “increased preparedness for a professional workplace and imparts the skills necessary for Latinos to flourish as professionals in our 21st-century economy.” 

For the fourth year, an MTB College Student Leader has been selected for this prestigious fellowship. Anyelo Cruz is a rising junior at Stevens Institute of Technology pursuing a B.S. in Computer Science. A part of the Fellows Program, Anyelo will join HISPA as a Data Management Intern, supporting Salesforce database maintenance and data accuracy. He is interested in software development, data systems, and entrepreneurship. In MTB, Anyelo was a High School Fellow from 2023-2025. He now serves as a College Student Leader in MTB, mentoring his younger high school peers.

MTB will also host one intern from the Fellows Program. Adrian Guerrero, who was born in Guatemala, is a student at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, pursuing a B.S. in Computer Engineering. As an MTB Intern, Adrian will contribute to several aspects of MTB’s program for first-generation college students and their younger high school peers, building on his experience as a Computational Research Assistant with the Reimagining Justice Lab and a former Salesforce intern with HISPA. Adrian brings to MTB his deep interest in fintech and technology's potential for community impact.

Through the Fellows Program and their internships, both Anyelo and Adrian will gain hands-on experience while giving back to the first-generation, underrepresented student communities that shaped their own journeys.

More Than Bootstraps congratulates these outstanding students for striving for and earning this incredible opportunity. “Paid internships are critical for first-generation college students,” said Audrey Fisch, president of More Than Bootstraps. “The Governor’s Hispanic Fellows Program is an amazing opportunity for students to build experience and skills, grow their professional network, and earn funds to support their families and the many expenses of college education.” 

Interested donors are invited to visit the MTB website: www.morethanbootstraps.org/donate.

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Grants and donations to More Than Bootstraps fund the monthly stipends that allow the high school and college students in the program some time and space to devote to their professional development and college-going activities while still meeting their financial responsibilities. Interested donors are invited to visit the MTB website: www.morethanbootstraps.org/donate.

About the Governor's Hispanic Fellows Program

The Governor’s Hispanic Fellows Program is a magnet for top-tier students, offering them a unique pathway to master the essential skills for thriving in today's dynamic professional landscape. Fellows receive coaching in various skills, including polished written communication, strategic negotiation, compelling public speaking, organization and time management, professional etiquette, giving and receiving feedback, and more.

The program blends hands-on, practical experience with traditional classroom instruction. Participants benefit from inspiring guest presentations by industry leaders and a host of other distinctive skill-building opportunities that set this fellowship apart. Ultimately, the Governor’s Hispanic Fellows Program not only boosts workplace readiness but also equips students with the critical tools they need to excel as professionals in the ever-evolving 21st century economy.

More Than Bootstraps is a nonprofit created by educators seeking to level the playing field and remove some of the substantial barriers that first-generation college students encounter in accessing and succeeding in higher education. More Than Bootstraps employs a near-peer mentoring model to create a community of success. College students from the community return to guide their younger peers in the community through the college search, application, and assimilation process. These leaders, working as a mentoring cohort, in turn strengthen their own college-going identities and improve their own chances of success in higher education.

Students are selected based on their desire to attend college and their commitment to the program rather than grade point average or test scores. All students in the MTB program receive stipends, laptop computers, and access to emergency resources to help them with the many non-tuition expenses of higher education. 

More Than Bootstraps is a 501(c)3 organization, Tax ID 83-2245008.

Media Contact:

Audrey Fisch, Ph.D.

President, More Than Bootstraps

(908) 397-0893

audrey@morethanbootstraps.org