Customer information about how the gold medalla was conceived by MAES.

Society of Mexican American Engineers and Scientiests

Origin of the MAES Medalla de Oro and Padrino Scholarship Program

The principals involved in the establishment of the Medalla de Oro and Padrino Scholarship Program were Oscar Cano, Art Cano, Bob Von Hatten and Fabian Rivera. The program’s inception and implementation took place 1983 at TRW where Oscar and Bob both worked. At that time Bob was the MAES National president (1982-1984) and Oscar was his vice-president. But as it happens, serious discussions began earlier in late 1982, when Bob began talking about establishing a National Awards program as one of his goals. Oscar came up with the idea of awarding Gold medals to outstanding and dedicated professionals in recognition for service to our organization. They decided to christen the medal as the MAES “Medalla de Oro”. Oscar collaborated with his brother Art who came up with a beautiful design. Since the program’s inception and implementation in 1983, an average of three medals per year have been awarded at the MAES National Conference for the past 21 years. For the first three years MAES was having a very difficult time in getting acceptable medals produced. Mr. Fabian Rivera, a member of the Long Beach professional chapter and a self-trained but expert jeweler, came to the rescue and for the last 18 years has been producing top quality medals for MAES.

In order to give additional meaning to this prestigious recognition award Bob thought that it would be most appropriate to establish a special scholarship in the name of the Medalla De Oro winner to be given during the same presentation ceremony which was to be known as the Medalla de Oro Gala Banquet. Bob decided to designate this, the Padrino Scholarship Award to solidify a special relationship between our Medal of Honor winner and a deserving MAES student.

The purpose of the “Medalla de Oro” Award is to honor members and supporters of MAES who have distinguished themselves by demonstrating dedication to service and to greatness, a dedication to humankind that carries with it responsibilities and strict discipline.

An inscription on the medal reads, “Science is the bridge towards the future, the engineer builds it”. And we in MAES respect this phrase by taking pride in serving as the catalyst to motivate our Latino youth to aspire careers in science and engineering.

The medal that winners receive is one cast in one ounce of pure gold. It signifies that this award is the highest that MAES can bestow to remind everyone that it was this precious element which brought together our ancestors five hundred years ago and made us what we are today. The Spanish and English wording on the medal also signifies the bilingual culture that has resulted from the acculturation and assimilation of our forefathers in a new nation less than one hundred and fifty years ago.

The Medal of Honor winner also earns an accompanying certificate for a major scholarship, the Padrino Scholarship, to be presented to a worthy engineering or science student by the Medal recipient, and is intended to symbolize the MAES concept of “The Bridge to the Future.” This scholarship represents MAE’s highest award and with it goes the highest honor that MAES can bestow. With the award, MAES also places a great responsibility on the shoulders of the Medalla de Oro recipient who accepts the role of mentor (padrino) to the scholarship recipient and agrees to uphold those principles that have been the basis of this award. The scholarship recipient also accepts responsibility to
use wisely those resources that are being provided through the combined efforts of numerous dedicated individuals, friends of MAES, and especially through the sacrifices and contributions of his/her mentor.

Through its Medalla de Oro and Padrino Scholarship Program MAES provides one of its very best assets, a Medal of Honor winner, as a padrino to give guidance and serve is an example to a young engineer or scientist, and to establish a lifelong bond and a “Bridge to the Future.”

Write-up contributed by Bob Von Hatten - 2004