SAN ANTONIO – Some local students are embracing their culture through a club at their school.
“We wanted to create a safe space for the girls to where they can feel empowered as Latina,” Fiorella Fachini, ESL coordinator at KIPP Aspire Academy said.
Fiorella helped create the “Proud Latinas,” a club where students celebrate their culture and discuss topics impacting the Latino community.
“Something that made me want to join this club was just knowing that I would be able to learn about my heritage,” Mia Martinez, a student at KIPP Aspire Academy said.
Last year, they hosted different activities to get the entire school involved.
“We created for Hispanic Heritage Month posters from different hispanic famous people from different countries. We also did an altar and we also celebrated Mexico Independence with Mariachis, so we welcomed everybody in the morning with mariachis,” Fachini said.
This fall, students are excited to create an altar that will be displayed at MuertosFest at Hemisfair.
“It brings us all together. It helps us learn more about our loved ones that past away,” Martinez said.
This year the 40 students are part of the advisory club, that takes place at the beginning of the school day.
“We’ve seen a lot of changes in different girls like their self esteem has gone up. Their sense of leadership, we’ve seen girls that though they couldn’t be a leader, be leaders of different projects that we have,” Fachini said.