During the month of September, the NSU Tampa campus celebrated Hispanic Heritage month by educating students on Hispanic culture by bringing in guest speakers and providing Hispanic food for all the students to enjoy and socialize with one another. NSU Tampa wanted to shed light and spread awareness of all the hard working Hispanics in the NSU Tampa community and to have a better understanding of Hispanic traditions and values.
On September 21st students gathered together to hear guest speaker Claudia Johnson Cuellar, a local business owner and member of the Hispanic Business Initiative Fund, address common misconceptions and barriers facing the Hispanic community. Ms. Cuellar focused on common misconceptions surrounding the Hispanic community including pathways to citizenship, commerce, and more. The NSU Tampa campus community joined together for the lunch and learn catered by local vendor, Borinquen Flavor, a Puerto Rican owned restaurant. Lunch featured Puerto Rican roasted pork, rice and peas, and plantains.
On September 22st, guest speaker Mercedes Young spoke about serving the Hispanic community through the healthcare professions. Many students in attendance were in the health care professions divisions including students in the Doctor of Occupational Therapy program, Anesthesiologist Assistant program, and Cardiovascular Sonography program. Mrs. Young informed the audience about her experience integrating to American culture, the struggles she faced in her personal and professional life, overcoming language barriers, how she landed a job in the healthcare setting, and the importance of being bilingual. At the end of her lecture, she answered questions from the students and gave them insight on how to best handle culturally sensitive interactions in the healthcare setting. Lunch was supplied by two local vendors, Colombia Restaurant and Tapas Spanish Cafe. The lunch featured an array of Cuban dishes including empanadas, chorizo puffs, yellow rice, picadillo, and mojo chicken.
On Friday, students, faculty, and staff were able to enjoy a Puerto Rican dessert called Tembleques, a coconut custard. The dessert was provided again by Borinquen Flavor.
A special thank you to NSU Tampa’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee, the Office of the Regional Campuses, and the Student Government Association for their support in this year’s initiatives. Also, a special thanks to our local speakers, vendors, and the students, faculty, and staff who lent a helping hand in making this year’s Hispanic Heritage Month programming a success.
Date & Time: September 21 and 22, 2016 from noon – 1:00 PM
Contact: Brittany Mijatovic, bmatthews@nova.edu, (813) 574-5298