Published: 9/25/2024
Reading Time: 3 minutes
Every year, from September 15 to October 15, Hispanic Heritage Month offers an opportunity to celebrate the histories, cultures and contributions of Hispanic and Latino communities. This year’s celebration is more relevant than ever in higher education — the theme for 2024 is ”Pioneers of Change: Shaping the Future Together.”
This year’s theme is not only about honoring the contributions of the past — it is about committing to a future in which Hispanic and Latino voices play a central role in shaping the higher education landscape.
Within the context of higher education, “Pioneers of Change” reflects the invaluable impact of Hispanic students and educators, and the progress they are spearheading on campuses nationwide.
We’re especially proud to work with authors who are at the forefront — driving progress and empowering students to succeed. For example, Dr. Verónica L. Reyna wrote the first edition textbook: “Latino Politics: Power, Intersectionality, and the Future of American Democracy.”
This groundbreaking first edition explains why learning Latino politics is fundamental to learning American politics. It expands on a growing understanding of the complexity of Latino politics to better equip students to participate in creating our 21st century democracy.
The author, Dr. Reyna, is Associate Chair of the Department of Government at Houston Community College where she co-leads inclusive curriculum development and course design. She teaches Introduction to American Government and Texas Government, as well as Mexican American/Latinx Politics.
In 2017, Dr. Reyna started the Center for Civic Engagement to empower Houston Community College students to use their political power to create change. As a result, HCC awarded Dr. Reyna the NISOD Excellence Award for 2019. The Center for Civic Engagement now collaborates with the Citizen’s Campaign to implement the Power Civics toolkit in academic and free community courses at HCC. Most recently, the League for Innovation in the Community College awarded Dr. Reyna the League of Excellence Award. She is also a 2021–22 American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education and New Leadership Academy fellow.
By challenging students to think critically about the intersection of identity, politics and civic engagement, Dr. Reyna is helping equip learners to create positive change in their communities and beyond.
Educators like Dr. Reyna are not alone in their mission. Hispanic students across the country are actively driving change across a wide range of disciplines. In fact, the Hispanic Association of Colleges says that “Hispanic enrollment in higher education is expected to exceed 4.3 million students by 2026, and the percent of STEM degrees conferred to Hispanic students rose from 9.2% to 15.6% between 2009 and 2022.”
Hispanic Heritage Month reminds us that the future of higher education is being shaped by the many contributions of Hispanic and Latino individuals. By supporting the next generation of changemakers, higher education institutions can play a crucial role in advancing progress.
As we honor the “Pioneers of Change,” we can ensu ourre that Hispanic voices continue to be heard, supported and celebrated — not just during Hispanic Heritage Month, but throughout the year.
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