By Evan Bentley
With National Hispanic Heritage Month observed from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, El Centro, a bilingual and peer mentor and tutoring center at Eastern Kentucky University (EKU), offers a variety of opportunities for students to connect with others and celebrate culture.
“The Latinx population is the fastest-growing in the country, but it’s also the fastest-growing in universities and college enrollment,” said Dr. José Gómez-Becerra, EKU associate professor and director of El Centro. "It is pertinent to celebrate this heritage month by highlighting Latinx academic excellence."
El Centro, formally named the Bobby Verdugo & Yoli Ríos Peer Mentor and Tutoring Center, hosts events throughout the year aimed at integrating global citizenship with academic and professional development. For National Hispanic Heritage Month, El Centro kicked off the celebration with an open house on Sept. 17, hosting three panels, “one about Puente, our summer bridge program for incoming freshmen, a panel on Latinx academic excellence and an alumni panel that highlighted the ways alumni stay connected to EKU via El Centro and the Spanish program,” said Gómez-Becerra.
“You guys are the future. Having more than 100 Spanish majors at EKU shows the value placed on getting a second degree in Spanish, as well as learning opportunities in the classroom,” said Dr. Abbey Poffenberger, professor of Spanish and chair of the Department of Language and Cultural Studies, Anthropology and Sociology, during a faculty and staff panel at the Open House.
The Latinx Street Fair, hosted by the Spanish program in collaboration with El Centro and other campus partners, was held on Oct. 9 in Powell Plaza. An annual campus event for more than a decade now, the Latinx Street Fair provides cultural foods, beverages, games, music and dancing to educate the community about various cultures. All these items are prepared by students in the Spanish program. This model of applied pedagogy in the Spanish program builds students’ employability by supporting their skill to work with people from various backgrounds and enriching cultural competence for all students in attendance.
El Centro’s influence extends beyond campus events. It serves as a support system for students, particularly for those seeking to improve their cultural competence and become more employable upon graduation. For many students, El Centro provides a sense of community and offers resources such as bilingual workshops and tutoring services in multiple subjects.
“This is a wonderful space,” said Daniela Acevedo, EKU alumnus and bilingual outreach coordinator. “People speak English and Spanish, and I see people that look like me. And that really changed my whole perspective on what I thought I was going to be here at EKU.”
With the focus being on both cultural appreciation and academic achievement, El Centro continues to make a significant impact on EKU’s campus. El Centro encourages students to celebrate heritage while striving for academic and professional success. As National Hispanic Heritage Month continues, El Centro remains a hub of celebration and learning to all who visit.
“El Centro's vision is that all students at El Centro will engage in a cycle of leadership through a relationship-rich education approach,” said Gómez-Becerra. “Our mission is to offer peer mentorship and tutoring to all students at EKU while creating the space for them to develop global citizenship and improve their employability upon graduation.”
El Centro is located in the basement of Crabbe Library, room 103A, and is open to all students Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m.-8 p.m., Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday from 4-8 p.m.