Latin music echoed throughout the Murray Function Room Thursday evening as the Boston College community came together to celebrate the start of Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month.
Yvonne McBarnett, director of the Thea Bowman AHANA and Intercultural Center (BAIC), kicked off an evening of laughter, dancing, and vocal performances by reminding the audience that the month-long celebration—which lasts from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15—is about celebrating the ways in which heritage enriches communities.
“Hispanic Latinx Heritage Month is a celebration of diversity, unity and resilience,” McBarnett said. “It gives us the opportunity to reflect on the incredible impact that Hispanic and Latinx individuals have had on our society.”
McBarnett also said that the celebration allows individuals to honor the heritage of their past, present, and future.
“It’s a reminder that heritage is not just about looking back, but it’s also about moving forward with pride and purpose,” McBarnett said.
Joana Maynard, assistant director of the BAIC, followed McBarnett by sharing a prayer in Spanish. Afterwards, the parade of flags commenced, with student volunteers carrying each Hispanic/Latinx country’s flag across the room.
Jacob Bojito, a 2024 Saint Oscar A. Romero Scholarship Finalist and MCAS ’25, shared how finding his place at BC motivated him to apply for the Romero scholarship.
“Over time, I’ve really learned to call Boston College my second home, and I’m so thankful for each and every single person I met throughout my time here,” Bojito said. “But more than anything, they inspire me to pay it forward to the next generation of students, and that’s why I was motivated to apply for the Romero scholarship.”
Bojito also called on the Hispanic/Latinx community at BC to help their fellow students find a home at BC.
“I hope, if you can all take something away from tonight, it’s that you have a Latino community here at Boston College that loves you,” Bojito said. “And we need to make sure that that continues, so that when you leave Boston College, you know that the students that look like you, sound like you, grew up like you, will have one.”
In addition to the speeches, the event featured performances by Ten Tumbao, a Boston-based Latin music group, Vida de Intensa Pasión (VIP), and a vocal performance by Karol Bedoya, the other Romero scholarship finalist and CSON ’25.
To conclude the evening, Bedoya reflected on her time at BC and shared how her work on and off campus reveals her passion for advocacy.
“Saint Romero’s call to action has encouraged me to continue fighting for what I believe in,” Bedoya said. “And I have the privilege of being able to make a difference, and I’m exercising that in my everyday life.”
Bedoya ended her speech by encouraging the audience to expand their comfort zones and to not be afraid of change and personal growth.
“You all have a little fire inside of you that hopefully only continues to burn brighter, so use it and set the world of flame,” Bedoya said.
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