They are students on a mission to empower Latino youth to be college and career ready through culture, service, leadership, and excellence in education.

On this episode of the Supercast, we head to Herriman High School to find out what Latinos in Action are doing to recognize National Hispanic Heritage Month. Hear how they make a positive impact in the school and the broader community during, not just one month, but throughout the entire school year.

Anthony Godfrey:

How has Latinos in Action impacted you over the years?

Darianna Faria:

Just how to be better leaders outside of high school and how to kind of really teach me what I want to be outside of high school as well.

Emilio Villena:

I got the opportunity to know what being Latino means here.

Eloisa Muñoz:

Latinos in Action helped me to find those tools that can I use to have a good future.

Anthony Godfrey:

Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. They are students on a mission to empower Latino youth to be college and career ready through culture, service, leadership, and excellence in education.

On this episode of the Supercast, we head to Herriman High School to find out what Latinos in Action is doing to recognize National Hispanic Heritage Month. Hear how they make a positive impact in the school and the broader community throughout the school year.

We are at Harriman High School today talking about Latinos in Action. Introduce yourself. You're the advisor and tell us a little bit about what's going on.

Emma Wilkinson:

Yeah, my name is Emma Wilkinson. I'm the advisor of Latinos in Action at Herriman High School. We have a lot going on this year. We probably have the strongest program that we've had up until this point this year. We have students who are focusing on tutoring. We have students who are focusing on leadership. We have a strong emphasis on college preparedness.

And so we have colleges who are coming to visit us and talk about different applications and scholarship information. So it's an exciting program. We're doing a lot of exciting things and it really empowers our Latino youth.

Anthony Godfrey:

This is an opportunity that isn't just available at Herriman High School. This is a statewide effort, even a national effort. So tell me how Herriman High School's club fits in with state and national organizations.

Emma Wilkinson:

Yeah, so yeah, Latinos in Action is a nationwide program. The number, the schools that have the most are in Utah and then Florida are the two high states. Latinos in Action started here in Utah. And so almost every high school has a program of Latinos in Action. Some are clubs, but like Herriman, where they're a little bit more established, we do have a class that kind of works as a class and a club at the same time. It's been a program that's been in development for over 20 years and we've seen it grow and it's exciting.

Anthony Godfrey:

Tell me about the class. What subjects are covered and what does that portion involve as opposed to the club portion of Latinos in Action?

Emma Wilkinson:

So the class is split into a really interesting format where the content that I go over with them is called Preparedness. How to fill out FAFSA, how to apply for scholarships. We spend a long time talking about professionalism, how to appear professional in different environments, how to interview well, and how to have a resume. So a lot of life skills.

We also talk a lot about leadership. How can you become the best leader you can be and then put it into practice? And then the other half of this class is we get into committees where in those committees we have different leadership positions and they plan events. They plan service activities. They have the opportunity to put leadership in action.

And then the other half of the class is we tutor. So we go to an elementary school once a week, starting in October, where we help different students learn how to read, how to do math, how to learn their alphabet, and different things like that.

Anthony Godfrey:

So there's a lot of action in Latinos in Action, it sounds like.

Emma Wilkinson:

Very much so, yes.

Anthony Godfrey:

You have three students here with you. Introduce yourselves and the office that you hold in Latinos in Action.

Eloisa Muñoz:

Okay, so my name is Eloisa Muñoz and I'm a Vice President in Citizen Action and I'm in charge of the service committee. Now we're selling crepes during the lunch and we're planning to help a lot with the fair that we're going to have in November.

Anthony Godfrey:

So the crepes are tomorrow, right?

Eloisa Muñoz:

The crepes are tomorrow, yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:

And savory, sweet? I mean, I'm always thinking about lunch.

Eloisa Muñoz:

Yeah, they're very good. We have Franco's Churros that is helping us and they're very, very good.

Anthony Godfrey:

That sounds fantastic.

Eloisa Muñoz:

Yeah.

Darianna Faria:

My name is Darianna Faria. I'm the President for Latinos in Action. Kind of what I do is I kind of monitor a lot of the committees as well, professional, service and social. I kind of make sure that I'm communicating with any aspects of our class as well as other clubs and as well as other organizations outside of just L.A. I kind of make sure that we have different bonds as well. And I just kind of am like the mediator as well. I just kind of I don't know how else to put it.

Anthony Godfrey:

Internally you're making sure everything works and the people working together well. But you're also the president and ambassador to other clubs and the school at large. Making sure that you're connecting with all those other groups effectively. I love that you express it that way because sometimes it's easy to be focused on your own work and not how it connects to the work that others are doing. So I think that's great. Sure.

Emilio Villena:

So my name is Emilio Villena. I'm the Vice President too. I'm in charge of the Professional committee. Pretty much what we have been doing lately is just help the Service committee with the crepe selling. We are planning probably in two weeks having a taco truck here at Herriman. Bringing that taco truck here and just having the students like have a good time basically.

Anthony Godfrey:

Fantastic. I'm going to have to get the exact date and time of that event. Tell me– you're all seniors I assume. Is that right?

Emilio Villena:

Yes.

Anthony Godfrey:

So how has Latinos in Action impacted you over the years?

Eloisa Muñoz:

So Latinos in Action opened my mind completely because when I got here I thought they didn't have enough opportunities to have a future, like a good future, because I want to be a business lawyer. So when I got here I just didn't know many things and with Latinos in Action helped me to find those tools that can I use to have a good future.

So we go to the lot, for example, there's a company of taxes. That's really fun because we can do like networking and like have conversations with really good professionals. And Latinos in Action opened my mind completely to like to see that I have a future here.

Anthony Godfrey:

So the things you were hoping to do that you were worried you might not be able to do now feel within reach.

Eloisa Munoz:

Yeah. Now feel there I have like an opportunity to go for it. Just do it.

Anthony Godfrey:

Fantastic. I love hearing that. How about for you?

Darianna Faria:

So Latinos in Action– I grew up knowing about Latinos in Action. My older siblings and cousins were in Latinos in Action at Copper Hills actually. I kind of grew up being inspired of like how their leadership and the amount of activities that they did as well. And for me, it honestly created a safe space. Sometimes you feel like you don't belong with people who don't understand your same struggles. As well with people who like you know ‘I've been there, I've done that’, even like those little things where like we relate to like those Hispanic moms. Like references and stuff like that.

So we have those small connections as well as those safe spaces for everyone. For me that really created a safe space in leadership. There's things that like I have never like known before until I got to Latinos in Action. It really opened those doors for me as well. I didn't even have a resume until I joined Latinos in Action. I created a resume in Latinos in Action. I learned how to do interviews and stuff like that. I still use the same resume for jobs that I apply now as well.

It really helped me as well as like different leaders that would come and speak with us as well that would teach us how to be better leaders outside of high school and how to kind of really teach me what I want to be outside of high school as well because I was wanting to do sales and marketing outside of high school. So I feel like that really opened new possibilities and as well as like kind of venturing outside of the world and just in our little bubble here in high school.

Emilio Villena:

So for me since I joined Latinos in Action last year, it's been showing me how what does being Latino in this country mean honestly. Before I joined Latinos in Action actually, I didn't feel like we had enough representation here in school, in the country in general, since we're a minority. So when I joined Latinos in Action I could get to know all these different background cultures and just stories for everyone from everyone. So I really got the opportunity to know what being Latino means here.

Anthony Godfrey:

Stay with us. When we come back more with the members of the Latinos in Action Club at Herriman High School.

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Anthony Godfrey:

Let's drop in on the crepes activity sponsored by the Latinos in Action group at Herriman High School.

Eloisa Muñoz:

So we're selling crepes and we have Dulce de Leche, condiments, Nutella, and chocolate.

Darianna Faria:

They can all choose what they want on the crepes.

Eloisa Muñoz:

We also sell them Sprite, Coke, and water. Alright, here you go.

Student:

Thank you so much.

Anthony Godfrey:

You said that part of what Latinos in Action has done for you is to help you understand what it means to be Latino in this country. So tell me, what does it mean to you to be Latino in this country?

Emilio Villena:

That's a really good question. So I think it's showing that we are as strong as they are. It's going to sound a little weird, but showing them that we have the same capacity that they have. Although we are a minority here in this country, that doesn't mean that we are weak. That we have the capacity to create, to be more. If that makes sense, yeah.

Darianna Faria:

For me being Latina, it's more than just a skin color, a box to check off in a form as well. For me, it's coming from years of ancestry and as well as having not only just the same language in common as someone but being able to communicate just cultural similarities. And having to kind of be like, "We're Latino and we all come together in unity in the class as well, even though we all come from different countries."

Even though we speak the same language as well, we're a lot more unified as well. We can share those experiences and share those cultures. And being able to know our struggles as well, having parents who were either first generation or immigrated here, it's kind of more than just a box to check off. But it's kind of like who you are as a person, who you identify as. And it's kind of like something that it can change how you are, your personality as well, just from being part of a country that you're proud of.

I feel like being Latino can really show you your pride. I feel like some of us when we come here, we're a little scared to show our pride. I don't want to put my flag out there. I don't want to tell people that I am Latino or Latina, kind of scared of discrimination or anything like that. And I think it really helps us to get out of the show. I am proud to come from this country. I'm proud to show who I am and where I'm from as well.

Eloisa Muñoz:

Yeah, so to me, it's a bit of a voice for those who don't have one. I think it is being that example that sometimes many people want to see and like see in success. I feel like sometimes we don't have that many examples of it and I would love to be one. Like, I think we need more. I think we need more people to have like that voice, to say, you know, the American dream is possible.

Anthony Godfrey:

Yeah.

Eloisa Muñoz;

It's going to be really hard. And maybe sometimes you're going to you're just going to like to come back and just saying, you know what, I'm done with this. But I think it's really important to understand that it's going to be hard, but you're going to have a lot of success.

Anthony Godfrey:

I love that. It's hard work, but the opportunities are there. And I think it's remarkable that you all understand the power of example at this age. I know that I did not understand the power of example at your age. But it is important people look to you and they look to each other for courage and for an example. I love that you are that for so many people.

I'm so impressed with what you're doing and really with your approach to making the best of your experience here at Herriman High School and making sure that you lift others in every way that you possibly can. I have no doubt you have a tremendous impact as we were talking with the principal walking in before the interview. He just was listing off all the things that Latinos in Action does to have a positive impact here at the school. So congratulations on all of that.

What other activities are coming up?

Darianna Faria:

On November 2nd, we're going to have a festival, a multicultural festival. So we're not just going to be like Latinos. We have POP presenting.

Anthony Godfrey:

People of the Pacific.

Darianna Faria:

People of the Pacific. We have BSU.

Anthony Godfrey:

Black Student Union.

Darianna Faria:

Black Student Union, and all those clubs to present things, to have a booth on the festival. We're going to have the Mayor coming. We're trying to reach out to the CEO of LIA to come.

Anthony Godfrey:

Oh yeah?

Darianna Faria:

On November 2nd, yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:

Wonderful.

Darianna Faria:

We're very excited.

Anthony Godfrey:

Now I understand that there's a display in the media center for us to go check out. Tell me about that.

Darianna Faria:

Like in the windows we have various like posters and as well as kind of like telling from different countries and just kind of like what it means to be Hispanic, what it means to be a Latino, to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.

Anthony Godfrey:

We're outside of the media center now and if you've ever been in our high schools in the Commons area, many of them have these large windows and so it's filled with posters about various countries. So tell me about the idea here and just describe this to the folks listening.

Darianna Faria:

Yeah, so basically what we have, we have various countries almost all over Latin America and including Spain as well. But we kind of wanted to showcase kind of what these different countries have. Their culture, their food, their dances, knowing that we all come from different countries, different backgrounds, and kind of just showing like the unity that we have here in Herriman High School as well as all the different people from all these different countries as well.

Anthony Godfrey:

Alright, so are your countries all represented here with the poster?

Students:

Yes.

Anthony Godfrey:

Alright, let's go check those out. You are from Chile you said.

Eloisa Muñoz:

I'm from Chile. So let's go check that one.

Anthony Godfrey:

Let's go take a look.

Eloisa Muñoz:

I think it's really accurate. We have Pedro Pascal, he's a famous actor.

Anthony Godfrey:

Pedro, I'm a Pedro Pascal fan.

Eloisa Muñoz:

He's so good.

Anthony Godfrey:

He's awesome. He's good. You're a Mandalorian fan?

Eloisa Muñoz:

I'm not.

Anthony Godfrey:

You're a Pedro Pascal fan. There are lots of other ways to like Pedro Pascal. What do the flowers represent?

Eloisa Muñoz:

Those are the typical flowers of Chile.

Anthony Godfrey:

Okay.

Eloisa Muñoz:

It's like a national thing so you cannot cut them or anything.

Anthony Godfrey:

And I see food. Oh, you can't cut them?

Eloisa Muñoz:

No.

Anthony Godfrey:

They're protected flowers.

Eloisa Muñoz:

Protected flowers, yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:

And what are they called?

Eloisa Muñoz:

Copihues.

Anthony Godfrey:

Copihues.

Eloisa Muñoz:

Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:

So you give this poster an A?

Eloisa Muñoz:

An A. 100%. Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:

Okay.

Eloisa Muñoz:

They like Pedro Pascal. So that's a...

Anthony Godfrey:

Right. No, I agree. And how about you? Where… Oh, here we are. Ecuador.

Emilio Villena:

Yes. Right next to Chile.  I think they're missing a couple important things, honestly.

Anthony Godfrey:

Okay. So it's accurate, but there are a few other things that they might have wanted to add.

Emilio Villena:

Yeah, absolutely.

Anthony Godfrey:

All right.

Emilio Villena:

For example, I will add information about Julio Jaramillo. He was a singer from Guayaquil, Ecuador. So he makes the...it's right here, the Pasilla Musica. It's just some...there's no way to describe the Pasillo, honestly. It's just like some really calm music, kind of like tango.

Anthony Godfrey:

Okay.

Emilio Villena:

It's really good.

Anthony Godfrey:

I'm pulling up Spotify right now, and I'm going to have you pop it in there because I do love music and food.

Emilio Villena:

It's just...it's music that goes into it solely.

Anthony Godfrey:

And how old or new is this music?

Emilio Villena:

It's pretty old. I wouldn't be able to say, but I'm going to guess like 80 years old probably.

Anthony Godfrey:

Wow.

Emilio Villena:

He's been there for a while. Julio Jaramillo.

Anthony Godfrey:

Wow. Okay. Well, thank you very much. I'll for sure give it a listen.

Darianna Faria:

So Venezuela will be right here, but there is a ton, and there's like different Venezuelan posters in different teachers' classrooms, as well as on the other side of the glass in the media center. There is more, but I mean, we do have a few right here that students created, and it's kind of just saying like, "Did you know natives speak more than 370 languages in South America?" So I myself am a native from Venezuela as well, so we're called guarijos and guarijas, and basically we're just kind of like the indigenous of Venezuela and stuff like that.

There is, other than just like Spanish, we have like a ton of different people speaking different native languages as well in South America, and as well as these posters right here. So this one won second place, right, in our state competition in the Latinos in Action Conference, and this one won an honorable mention. So these one as well as awards in the conferences for these artworks.

Anthony Godfrey:

This one has some nice vibrant colors in it. I love that. And kind of some motion to it. “Talent Runs Through Our Veins.” That has a great style to it, kind of a washed-out, sort of a pastel look. Yeah, wonderful stuff. So thank you very much for the time today and for walking me through these projects and lots of good things ahead. Thanks for everything you're doing, and I look forward to seeing those performances coming up.

Students:

Thank you. Thank you for giving us this date.

Anthony Godfrey:

Thanks for joining us on another episode of the Supercast. Remember, education is the most important thing you will do today. We'll see you out there.