Central Penn’s first Hispanic Heritage Week includes a student panel

Last Friday, a panel of students were given the opportunity to talk about what it means to be Latino/Latina for Central Penn’s first Hispanic Heritage Week. Jenelle Dulac, Yaire “Jaja” Diaz-Marte, Gabrielle Perez and Andrea Padilla were interviewed by Dean Jared Rife on a diverse spread of subjects on the various Hispanic cultures that each person was born into.

“I always try to be proud or vocal about being Latina,” stated Dulac during the panel as different stories were shared by the panelists.

A sense of unity developed between the four as questions were answered. The subjects varied from racial injustices, within not only American culture but also the Hispanic community to memories growing up in Hispanic households and what their cultures meant to each of them.

The panel was moving and exposed students to the different aspects of what it means to be a Latino. “I was honestly nervous about doing the panel,” said Diaz-Marte afterward. “But once I got up there with the other three (panelists) and heard their stories, it encouraged me to speak my heart out and express myself.”