Marquette University’s Latin American Student Organization and the Hispanic Professionals of Greater Milwaukee hosted Noche de Karaoke. This event encourages students to come to sing and meet new people Oct. 17
LASO hosted Noche de Karaoke a few years ago and Stephanie Guiterrez, a junior in the College of Business Administration and president of LASO, said the organization wanted to bring it back again to rebuild the community after COVID-19 and to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.
LASO wants to promote Latin American cultures and people.
When Guiterrez first came to Marquette she wanted to find a sense of community. She said she tried different student organizations but ultimately found her place at LASO.
“I attended one of their first meetings and I felt like I found my place, so decided to become a part of it and I got to meet new people and build a lot of strong friendships that would last a lifetime,” Guiterrez said.
Although it can be difficult, Guiterrez encourages students to take a risk to find a sense of community on campus. Guiterrez said coming from a small high school, she felt that everyone else had a community and a group of friends until she joined LASO.
“Someone once told me you should be willing to feel uncomfortable sometimes and willing to like try new things that scare you,” Guiterrez said. “These people look like me, we share the same culture … and I took that risk and I started attending their meetings. This was the best decision that I could do.”
HGPM’s mission is “to connect and unite Hispanic professionals, students and the community with rich heritage, strong leadership and impactful initiatives.” HGPM also wants to be a leading resource for professional development.
Guadalupe Gomez Soto, a junior in the College of Business Administration and president of HPGM, said she was an HPGM scholarship recipient last year and that’s what initiated her involvement in the Marquette chapter.
Gomez Soto said the organization is bringing students together after a lot of student interaction was limited.
“I felt like being part of this program and having a leadership position could help me maximize the interaction that students have on campus,” Gomez Soto said.
After commuting for a semester, Gomez Soto said she wants to build a community for both students that live on campus and commuters.
“I love the people [at HPGM]. I love [the] professional aspect, and I love that I could also interact with other students that were not in my grade level,” Gomez Soto said.
Max Hernandez, a senior in the College of Engineering, said that he is grateful for organizations like LASO, HPGM, Black Student Council and other multicultural organizations.
Being a first-generation, minority student can make it difficult to find a group on campus, he said.
“I remember when I came in my freshman year, I wasn’t involved in anything and I was on the verge of dropping out because I didn’t find my group. That’s when I got to know LASO, HPGM and all the multicultural organizations,” Hernandez said.
Hernandez said LASO was inactive last year due to not having an executive board, so the current students stepped up to build the community and listened to the community whenever students were unsettled.
Multicultural organizations create a space on campus for students to feel comfortable sharing their stories, Hernandez said, and they build trust with the community.
Guiterrez and Gomez Soto encourage students to come to their meetings and upcoming events and to follow LASO and HPGM on social media.
This story was written by Hannah Hernandez. She can be reached at [email protected].
