Hebron celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, by setting up a selfie station and implementing an art contest, in which participants designed a 2D or 3D product based on the theme ‘Soy Unico,’ meaning ‘I am unique.’ In this year’s contest, the judges chose the top six art pieces. The first place winner was junior Evelyn Kha, second was senior Kelsey Reyna, third was junior Jakeline Rodriguez, fourth was sophomore Ronaldo Salvador, fifth was senior Brent Ravina, and sixth was junior Callie Moore.

“I would hope [the participants] would appreciate art from other countries,” art teacher Ellen Kudlicki said. “I think it’s interesting to have insight into how our culture is impacted by others.”

The first and second place prize for the contest is either a one month free parking in the teacher’s parking lot or a $50 giftcard to Main Event. The third place prize is a $25 gift certificate to the Hawk Cafe. All participants received a free ‘Soy Unico’ t-shirt.

“[The art contest] shows, while still being a part of a group, you should still hold true to who you are,” leader of the school’s Hispanic Heritage Month Committee Caroline Parrish said.

Parrish can personally connect with this celebration because of her Hispanic background, being born in the Dominican Republic.
“America is a quilt,” Parrish said. “We are made of many components. So those cultures that have given generations of hard work, have led to America being what it is today. As a culture, the hispanic contribution is large, and it deserves to be recognized because it serves as a chance for them to celebrate [our] culture and to realize [our] contributions are valued.”

Kudlicki said there is a misconception that Hispanic culture just includes people from Mexico, but in reality it is composed of a variety of heritages from different parts of the world.

“I believe [Hispanic Heritage Month] makes students more aware of the variety within the umbrella heading of ‘Hispanic,’” Kudlicki said. “There are students from many nations who identify as Hispanic.”

Although Parrish’s childhood in the Dominican Republic was short, seeing the hardships her parents went through has helped her see the importance of her culture and promote Hispanic Heritage Month.

“[My parents] had to leave what they knew growing up, and then to come to a new country, and learn everything again,” Parrish said. “[But cultural open-mindedness is] definitely getting better. I love being at Hebron, because I see that students, faculty, and staff make such a great effort to include everybody, so that you feel safe and welcome in your environment. So for me, it’s just having that actual heritage, but then having the opportunity to be somewhere where all heritages are respected and honored.”