Hispanic Heritage celebrated

Numerous Hispanic heritages were celebrated at Lorain County Community College on Sept. 25 in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month.

This month is commemorated nationally from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15.

Some students and staff enjoyed the annual one-day Hispanic Heritage Celebration at the college, 1005 N. Abbe Road in Elyria, and received information on the nationalities and the college’s partnership with the Hispanic community.

Guests filled the College Center to learn and enjoy food, entertainment, dancing and art, such as mask making and carpet

made of sawdust and sand.

Selina Gaddis, manager of Student Life at LCCC, said the group took the approach of how can they look at various cultures on campus and the community and make an event out of it.

“We look to bring that culture to the campus so the students can see and take part in Hispanic Heritage Month,” Gaddis said. “We are trying to get (students) to vote, have student success and get them more engaged in activities outside of classroom.”

Stephanie Morrow, staff assistant of Student Life, said everything is new this year from the band, to dancers, activities and providing homemade desserts like flan and Sopaipilla, which is a pastry stuffed with cheesecake.

“I wanted this to be fresh,” Morrow said. “I wanted to do something different instead of what everyone is used to so others know it’s not going to be the same.”

Gaddis said the one-day celebration is meant to make Hispanic students and the community feel a sense of belonging on campus.

It’s something educational and fun for all ethnicities to participate in, she said.

Saul Aguilar, 22, came to LCCC from El Salvador a year ago to start a new program at the college.

Aguilar said the Hispanic Heritage Celebration made him feel inclusive.

“Even though I know I’m a minority, events like this, they do make you feel like you’re part of a home,” he said.

Aguilar is studying LCCC’s new MEMS, or Micro Electromechanical Systems, a curriculum that recently was authorized as a bachelor’s degree program.

LCCC President Marcia Ballinger said the college is Ohio’s only community college that can deliver the bachelor’s degree in this field.

Aguilar recalled the college and its international services as the best support system for international students.

“Any students who are still coming to the country and community colleges in general, they’re well-received,” he said. “I feel welcome here.”

Aguilar is a member of the college’s Student Senate.

Ballinger said part of their commitment to create an inclusive environment.

One of the things LCCC is most proud of is since 2011, is it has had a 149 percent increase in degrees earned by Hispanic/Latino students.

The college also has given out 500 Diversity Incentive Awards in the last five years to Hispanic/Latino students.

“This kind of engagement is part of the student experience and community experience because for us, the students are the community, the community is representative of our students and that’s what our middle name is all about,” Ballinger said.

The college is continuing to partner with the Hispanic community to listen and learn to better improve their needs, she said.

“When you look at education attainments, you look at how to build one of the most educated communities,” Ballinger said.

Some of the surrounding communities near LCCC have a lower socioeconomic status that shows they are not making the progress they need as a community, overall, she recalled from a recent report.

“Education, we believe, is the key to move from that bottom quintal to that top quintal,” Ballinger said. “We’re committed to that and it’s holistic from K-12, all the way to our university partnership.”