Last weekend on Saturday April 13th, 2013, N.C. State’s Hispanic organizations (Mi Familia and SHPE) had the honor to host the 9th annual UNIDOS Gala at the McKimmon Center.
UNIDOS was originally a gathering of the Hispanic organizations from the three major universities surrounding Research Triangle Park. Alejandro Hernandez of Duke University, Fernando Soto of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Joél Morales of North Carolina State University were three students who sought to unify the Hispanic students at each of their universities in 2004.
What became of their efforts was the UNIDOS Council, created in spring 2005, an inter-university conglomeration of representatives dedicated to creating community service and other collaboration events between the three universities. Each year, the council organizes and sponsors the UNIDOS Gala, where the universities meet to discuss accomplishments made together and individually amidst the members of all organizations in the setting of a formal banquet followed by a dance social.
In addition to this gathering, it has been tradition to invite a notable speaker within North Carolina to speak to all the attendees at Gala. This year’s speaker was Dr. Rupert W. Nacoste, Alumni Distinguished Undergraduate Professor of Social Psychology at North Carolina State University.
This year 145 people attended the UNIDOS gala including students from N.C. State, Duke, and Chapel Hill, as well as NCSU alumni and faculty, and the scholarship recipients with their families.
Lisbeth Arias, a junior at NC State and UNIDOS representative from NCSU, expresses UNIDOS’ goals for next year: “We hope next year to increase our numbers in attendance not only with students but with alumni and faculty. Having faculty and alumni present can help us find more sponsors for our UNIDOS Scholarship which can lead to more Latino high school students receiving funding for higher education.”
Jelytza Padro is also a junior and the second of two UNIDOS NCSU representatives. “UNIDOS has always had a focus on giving back to the community which includes the scholarship, penny wars, and adopting a family.” There are a variety of events that play an important role during UNIDOS Gala, but one of the most impacting to the community is the UNIDOS Tri-University Scholarship, a $500 scholarship given to outstanding Latino students in North Carolina. This year marked the fourth consecutive year that the UNIDOS Tri-University Scholarship was awarded.
This year the UNIDOS council had the privilege to read 40 stories of young, inspiring Latino leaders all throughout North Carolina. Three of those 40 had something special that set them aside from the rest of the pool of applicants. Individually they have gone through hardships; Ana Escobar balancing her life as a student and a parent, Jason Aguilar overcoming the language barriers between Mam, an indigenous language from Guatemala, Spanish and English, and Erandi Villa learning how to grow up from being a kid to the head of the household back at home.
“Together they prevailed and did not let any obstacle detain them from achieving their dreams. This is what being Latinos is about,” Lisbeth said, “This is what defines a Latino living in the United States. I am looking forward to next year’s pool and reading their stories. I fear the deliberation of who is awarded the scholarship will be much more difficult and that is why we are working to receive more funding.”
