New club at HHS honors creating a safe and fun space for Hispanic and Latino students. The Latinx UNDIO club was officially created on Nov 23, 2022 by Kate Mandujano and Sofia Vegavaldes, sophomores and co-presidents of the club.

In addition to creating a fun environment, they desired a place in HHS where students could come and connect with their Latin American and Hispanic culture. 

What inspired them to create this club was helping bridge the gap within the Latino community and HHS, specifically in helping new students that have moved to Minnesota from other countries. When Vegavaldes went through this process, she had some troubles being new at North Junior High. She didn’t want other students to feel the same way. 

The Latinx UNDIO club runs all year, meeting every Monday after school from 3:25-4:45 p.m. in room W225. 

“As of right now we have a small group but are always excited to welcome new people to join,” Mandujano said. 

The club combines both educational activities with fun projects to aid in educating the members on their heritage and culture. In past meetings they have played Latin American trivia, invited Juntos program teacher from North Junior High, Sr. Saldana to come and speak, and have even made a poster for the FIFA World Cup. 

“I think it will have a great impact because as I know, a Latino club has never been made and this is a great opportunity to share and learn about other cultures.” Vegavaldes said. “We hope that students that aren’t Latino or Hispanic can come to the club and learn more about our culture. We especially encourage Spanish students who wish to broaden their knowledge to attend.”

They love to seeing the impact they’ve made in spreading awareness at HHS and observing the friendships made. They hope that their club will continue to grow with a new, diverse group of members.