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As president of the Organization of Latin American Students, M. Tatiana Vasquez Lopez is proud to share and celebrate Latine culture with the Dominican community.

“At my high school, we didn’t have clubs that represented Latinos or people of color, so I found it fascinating that Dominican was very welcoming and that this was such a big thing on campus,” Tatiana says.

Involvement in OLA is also steadily on the rise.

“Over the past two years, with the big freshman classes coming in, OLA has grown a lot,” she notes. “We’ve gone from hosting events with 30 people to events with 200 people.”

This year, OLA held a Hispanic Heritage Celebration with traditional foods from 16 countries. Students were also invited to paint calaveras for Día de los Muertos and will be invited to an annual theme dance in the spring.

“OLA is a safe space where I can get to know my identity more,” Tatiana says. “I want to make sure the club is open to everybody, so even the traditions of the smallest countries are included, too.”