Harper College offices will be closed Monday, September 2 in observance of Labor Day.
Current and former members of Harper College’s club for Latine students recently joined together to honor its legacy of support and inclusion.
When Jhoana Mendoza heard about the Harper College Latinos Unidos Alumni Reunion, she was flooded with memories of her time in the student club. She immediately looked forward to celebrating with former Latinos Unidos members who had meant so much to her.
On October 3, Jhoana joined more than 50 club alumni and students, along with current and former faculty club advisors, for the first major reunion on Harper’s campus that celebrated the impact of Latinos Unidos. The reunion was co-hosted by Latinos Unidos, the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and Harper College Alumni Relations.
Jhoana was in the club from 2009-11 and served as Latinos Unidos president from 2010-11. During that time, she and the club marched to advocate for immigration reform in Washington D.C., visited area high schools to talk about being first-generation college students, and hosted a variety of campus events. Those included Sabor Latino, the longest-standing event the club hosts, which is a celebration of food, dance and culture.
“Latinos Unidos was a place to meet people, make friends, and we were also able to help plan programs and ask ourselves, ‘What can we do for our college?” Jhoana said. “Most of our members were first-generation college students and didn’t know how anything worked. My mind was blown when I got to Harper and learned about this organization that supported us.”
Jhoana also credits Latinos Unidos and its participation in a march in Washington for giving her a new educational direction for her career path. She was initially a hospitality management student but soon changed to social work after the march, where she realized her true calling. She is now a community social worker in Mount Prospect.
Alumna Sandra Torres, bilingual reporter at NBC 5 Chicago and club member from 2002-04, spoke at the reunion about her time in the club.
“Latinos Unidos was a huge part of my college experience. I moved to this country when I was 13 and had to start over. I didn’t want to speak Spanish so I could fit in,” Sandra said. “But the club made me feel like my roots were important. It gave us a family and is a big reason why I loved my experience at Harper.”
Sandra credits the club as setting her up for success when she transferred to Illinois State University, where she studied mass communication, and now in her career as a media professional. She also shared that she keeps in close contact with friends she made during her time in the club.
Latinos Unidos was started in 1992 by the first club advisor Frank Solano (now retired from Harper), with the mission to celebrate and create a home for Hispanic culture on campus and provide networking and volunteer opportunities for student members. The current and former
advisors were honored with poster displays highlighting their service to the organization at the event.
The Latinos Unidos mission remains important more than three decades later. The U.S. Department of Education named Harper a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) in 2023. The HSI designation is awarded to colleges that serve a student body that is more than 25% Hispanic. Approximately 30% of Harper students are Hispanic/Latine.
The reunion gave the students a chance to connect with alumni who were formerly in their shoes. Harper student and current club president Adrian Contreras spoke to reunion attendees about how Latinos Unidos is making difference for him.
“I consider Latinos Unidos my home here at Harper College,” Adrian said. “This organization has brought so much to me personally, academically and as a leader. I will always love my time here.”
In turn, the reunion gave alumni the chance to see and hear about the important legacy of Latinos Unidos at Harper. Jhoana reflected on that legacy.
“It is great to see that Harper continues to embrace Latinos Unidos and keep the tradition alive,” Jhoana said. “Bringing change, inclusion, and bringing the message that everyone is welcome is so valuable. It’s amazing to see how important the club has been for so many.”
View the photos from the Latinos Unidos Alumni Reunion.
