Amanda Gonzalez, a 20-year-old Chicago resident, was recently selected the grand-prize winner of a $10,000 scholarship to DeVry University. Gonzales won a national education essay contest featured on MiGente.com, one of the fastest growing social network sites on the Internet.

Several hundred young Latinos entered the essay contest. Each was required to answer the question, "What is the Value of a Higher Education and How is it Important to the Latino Community?" Each essay was limited to 750 words maximum.

Initially, internal judges selected 10 finalists and their essays were posted on MiGente.com for public voting. Gonzalez's essay received the highest average score.

DeVry University sponsored the contest in an effort to create a dialogue among Latino youth. With approximately 13 percent of DeVry University students nationwide being Latino, the specific question was a critical one for many DeVry students.

Gonzalez wrote, "It is important for us to show the majority that we are intelligent, that we are capable of succeeding." She further offered that education was "the key to success" and that she sees her own education as an "opportunity to give back to the community."

According to an annual survey by educational trade publication Diverse: Issues in Higher Education of the "Top 100 Degree Producers," DeVry University is one of the leading producers of Hispanic graduates earning bachelor's degrees. The school topped the rankings in the field of Computer and Information Science and Support Services.