The middle of September through the start of October sparks the start of Hispanic Heritage Month. Hispanic Heritage Month is from Sept.15 to Oct. 15, where people celebrate the Latin countries, communities and culture. Altogether, Hispanic Heritage Month unites and represents the Hispanic community.
Although the Hispanic community is not the biggest at Piedmont, faculty, staff and students make it important to bring the community together.
Piedmont has three Spanish professors, including Jeff Bowers, Brian McDermott and Sherry Nourizadeh.
“I started learning Spanish in college, and I think going through the language learning process myself is what made me want to teach college students, so that I can support others going through the process that I once went through,” said Sherry Nourizadeh, one of the Spanish professors at Piedmont.
“I also love having the opportunity to help language students build on their cultural competency, in addition to learning to use the language. For me, the cultural aspect was very formative in my learning, and so by teaching my students about other cultures, I hope that I can inspire them to want to get to know people from cultures that are different from their own, and in doing so, they will ultimately find that they can learn more about their own culture as well,” said Nourizadeh.
Professor Nourizadeh is new to Piedmont, but she feels as if she has a responsibility to expose students to the cultural aspect to help them connect with other cultures and rethink their own culture. Even though she’s just getting started here, the community and connections Piedmont has to offer makes her feel right at home.
“I love Piedmont because working here feels like being part of a community. I love working with students, and here I am able to be accessible to my students,” said Nourizadeh.
Along with the great faculty and staff, Piedmont offers a wide variety of club options for their students, one of them being the student organization for Latinos (SOL). SOL is not only a student-based organization, but it also welcomes anyone no matter their background. SOL is all about creating a shared space for growth and diversity for students.
Arly Lerma and Alexia Vaca-Nava are co-presidents of SOL and serve as leaders for the club. Even though Piedmont’s Hispanic population is not the largest, they feel a sense of responsibility to continue the club that has helped them feel like they have a community as Hispanic students at Piedmont.
Recently, SOL and the campus activities board (CAB) hosted a Hispanic Heritage Month event that involved food, prizes, games, and a pinata. The event was a hit, and it was a great way to kick off the semester.
“When we have the opportunity to make an event for Hispanic Heritage Month we happily did with the intent to educate other students about the proud Hispanic cultures that are at Piedmont,” said Lerma.
SOL is all about welcoming people and bringing communities together.
“We are definitely growing in numbers, and I hope as co-president for SOL, we create an environment where people learn more about Hispanic culture,” said Vaca-Nava.
Hispanic Heritage Month serves as a way to bring the Piedmont community together, not only for the Hispanic population but for everyone who can share and relate to their culture or background. It also helps educate those who may not know much and want to know more about Hispanic culture or history.
For those interested in getting connected and learning about the Hispanic community, contact Arly Lerma or Alexia Vaca-Nava from SOL. Next month, they will be hosting a Day of the Dead event.
