Penn State Berks celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month

Javier Avila

Keynote speaker Javier Ávila, a renowned speaker, poet, author and professor, will present “The Trouble with My Name” during the seventh annual Penn State Berks Latino Forum on Oct. 16.

Credit: Provided

WYOMISSING, Pa. — Beginning in mid-September, Penn State Berks will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and host a variety of virtual events via Zoom; each event is intended for a specific audience, including prospective and current students, the campus community, and the general public.

Latin Fest: Wednesday, Sept. 16
An annual event celebrating the Latin heritage, Latin Fest is open to Berks students, faculty and staff. The event includes a virtual cooking demonstration with Dominican recipes for empanadas and morir soñando, along with a reading of an original poem by Berks student Genesis Munoz Arias. This event is sponsored by the Penn State Berks Diversity Committee and Penn State Berks Latinos United for Change student organization. An email will be sent to the campus community with the time and information on how to join the event.

Latino Forum, Friday, Oct. 16, 9:30–11 a.m.
The eighth annual Penn State Berks Latino Forum is for students from all Berks County high schools, as well as members of the local Latino community. This year’s event will feature keynote speaker Javier Avila, whose presentation, “The Trouble with My Name” tells the story of his life and what it means to be the “American of the future.” The mission of the Latino Forum is to empower the Latino students to pursue higher education. The forum provides inspiration and motivation for students as they learn that higher education is both desirable and attainable. All guests planning to attend must register in advance and will receive an email confirmation with information on how to join the forum.

Spanish Minors Social, Oct. 28, 12:15 p.m.
Students enrolled in the Penn State Berks Spanish minor are invited to this event. The theme is “Remaining relevant in a remote world.” An email will be sent to students with information on how to join the event.

Bilingual Story Telling: Thursday, Nov. 5
Penn State Berks faculty and students will present bilingual readings of "Aesop’s Fables" for local elementary schools. This is not a public event.

For additional information on these events, contact Donna Chambers, assistant teaching professor of Spanish, at 610-396-6332 or via email at [email protected].