ECC closes out Latinx Heritage Month with 'We Rise Gala' Oct. 11
Elgin Community College's celebration of Latinx Heritage Month closes with the "We Rise Gala: A Community Fundraiser for Undocumented, DACA, and Mixed Status Families" on Friday, Oct. 11.
The event will be held from 6 to 10:30 p.m. in the Jobe Lounge, Building B, 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin.
"Going to college, and more specifically graduating from college, is a significant challenge for many students. Undocumented/DACA students navigate unique social, cultural, political, financial, and legal circumstances to achieve their goals," says Manny Salgado, associate professor of psychology at ECC and Latinx Heritage Month committee member.
The evening will feature a keynote address by Dra. Aurora Chang, assistant professor and program chair in higher education at Loyola University Chicago, entertainment from Quinto Imperio, dinner, and dancing.
Chang is now an assistant professor and program chair in higher education at Loyola University's School of Education, where she teaches coursework on multicultural education, social justice, undocumented students, critical social theory, Chicana Feminism, and curriculum in higher education. Her research focuses on the intersection of education, identity and agency within traditionally marginalized communities. Currently, she focuses on undocumented students' paths of educational survival, resistance and persistence, how these experiences affect the "American" sociopolitical landscape and what educators can do to support them.
Proceeds from the gala will go towards a scholarship fund to support undocumented, DACA, and mixed-status students to gain access to financial assistance and resource within the ECC Community.
Salgado added that the event celebrates the diversity of stories and acknowledges the unique resiliency that is demonstrated as the students achieve their own goals. He hopes attendees will learn more about the ways we can support these students, as well as enjoy the event.
General admission for the gala is $35 for community members, $12 for students.
Tickets can be purchased online at elgin.edu/lhm.