Luke oversees fundraising for Hispanic Access Foundation—leading corporate, foundation, government, and individual donor outreach.
Luke is a millennial Mexican American who was raised in the outdoors and is especially drawn to Hispanic Access’ conservation programs. Ever since early childhood, he has camped, fished, backpacked, and explored the outdoors. In high school, Hispanic Access gave him the opportunity to travel out West to explore the beauty of America’s national parks and to highlight the issues surrounding them.
Those experiences and his love for the outdoors inspired him to study environmental biology and chemistry at Christopher Newport University, where he graduated magna cum laude. Although his education focused primarily on science, Luke made it a priority to infuse his environmental studies with policy analysis and discussion. To Luke, the relationship between people and their world is the most central element to understand.
Why he works for Hispanic Access…
“My environmental biology background and experience volunteering with Hispanic Access in 4Stops1Destination, fishing events, tax education workshops, congressional hearings, and passing out materials at congressional offices gave me a deep appreciate for the work Hispanic Access was doing. When the opportunity to join the team came up, I was fresh out of college. I immediately applied so I could continue contributing to the conservation and environmental policy work our organization carries out so authentically.”
In his spare time…
Luke can be found reading, working out with his brother, hiking and camping, playing with his corgi and tabby cat, watching movies, and cooking for friends.
His favorite book…
“The Alchemist. It has a deep-rooted wisdom woven into the fabric of a beautiful and captivating story. Any time I read it, I feel compelled to take a step back from life and consider the value of my existence and what I want to leave here when my story is over.”
A person he finds inspirational…
“Maite Arce. As her son, watching her create and build Hispanic Access and become a well-known Latina leader in the U.S. has been a privilege and a learning experience like no other. Maite will often say she has always strived to be a servant leader, and I think she is the epitome of it. She has faced obstacles with a brave heart and determination. She overcame her own insecurities and managed an unimaginable amount of stress for the benefit of others, sacrificing along the way (while still raising her wild teenage boys—successfully, I might add). Her perseverance has been rewarded; her vision has become a living thing. Maite leveraged relationships and integrity, nimbleness and authenticity, learning on her own the how-to to make it happen. Her motivation and contributions have meant the transformation of thousands of Latino lives in the U.S., and the elevation of the Latino voice in the national narrative—no small feat. Many regard her with great esteem, but no one more than I.