MARIA M. SEMPERTEGUI
AN IMMIGRANT MOTHER'S LEGACY
MARIA M. SEMPERTEGUI'S LEGACY
“If you’re going to live, leave a legacy. Make a mark on the world that can’t be erased.”
- Maya Angelou
On September 20, 2016, the Sempertegui family lost our beloved matriarch and heart of our family, Maria M. Sempertegui. Mrs. Sempertegui immigrated to the United States and, through sacrifice and hard work, she was able to provide her children with love and support that allowed them to achieve their their dreams. Our family is honored to continue our Mamita's legacy of making a positive difference in the lives of others and we are thankful for those who join us in these efforts.
WHO IS MARIA?
Maria M. Sempertegui was born on December 5, 1951, in Cochabamba, Bolivia and was the youngest of nine siblings. She completed Cosmetology school in Bolivia and opened a hair salon before becoming the first person in her entire family to immigrate to the Unites States in 1979. Eventually, more than 100 family members followed her to the United States and she assisted many of them to settle into our new adopted home land. For more than 24 years, she worked as a Bus Aide with Maryland's Montgomery County Public School System. Mrs. Sempertegui was also licensed by the State of Maryland as a Senior Cosmetologist and was the proud owner of Maria's Hair Salon, LLC in Langley Park, MD. As a non-native English speaker, she struggled for many years to obtain her Cosmetology license and to open her small business. Once she became licensed, Mrs. Sempertegui taught and guided more than 30 women that wanted to become cosmetologists and she provided opportunities to new business owners because she understood how difficult it can be to start a venture. "Doña Maria," as she was known in the community, was someone who would help and she was not shy about being direct when she disagreed with your approach. She was honored to become a U.S. Citizen in 1995. Mrs. Sempertegui passed away on September 20, 2016. She was married to Jorge for more than 35 years with whom she had three children - Juan, Steven and Andrea. Mrs. Sempertegui is the Abuelita (grandmother) to 6 granddaughters, three of whom are named Maria.
WHAT ARE MARIA'S COMMUNITY PROGRAMS
First-Gen Future Men Leadership Program
On October 13, 2018, the Maria Sempertegui FirstGen Future Men Leadership Program was established by the Sempertegui family. The FirstGen Future Men (FGFM) program is named in honor of Mrs. Sempertegui because, as an immigrant, she sacrificed to provide her children the opportunity to become the first in their family to attend and graduate from college. As of the summer of 2023, FGFM has partnered with numerous schools and community based organizations to host workshops for young men in Maryland and New York. Please visit the FGFM page for more details.
La Unidad Latina's Maria Sempertegui Legacy Book Scholarships
In the Fall of 2022, the Sempertegui family partnered with Juan Sempertegui's fraternity, La Unidad Latina, Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity, Inc. at the University of Maryland, College Park, to establish book scholarships to honor Mrs. Sempertegui. Thanks to the financial contributions from the Sempertegui family and Juan's fraternity Hermano (Brother) Steven Ventura, three 3 book scholarships totaling $1,500 were awarded in 2022. In the Fall of 2023, La Unidad Latina and other donors expanded scholarship eligibility to Montgomery College, Prince George's Community College in addition to students at the University of Maryland. Thanks to the generous donations from the Sempertegui family, Steven Ventura, Hermano Nathaniel Guzman and La Unidad Latina Service and Education Fund, we were able to award $300 book scholarships to seven students totaling $2,100. Please visit the Book Scholarship page for more details.
