In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, members of the Hispanic Club at Lakeland Community College recently took part in a number of unique activities: a coffee tasting and Mexican dessert event on campus; the creation of an ofrenda, or Day of the Dead altar on campus; and attendance at the grand opening of the first Spanish-speaking theater in the Cleveland metropolitan area.

Through funding from Lakeland’s Hispanic Program, students and alumni visited the LatinUS Theater Company’s Blackbox Theater, located in the heart of Cleveland’s Hispanic community. While there, they were able to attend the inaugural performance of “La casa de Bernarda Alba” on Friday, Oct. 1.

“Students feel connection to culture, and some would not be able to attend these events if we did not offer them at Lakeland through the Hispanic program,” said program coordinator Lissette López Piepenburg.

The ofrenda created on campus will be on display in The Gallery at Lakeland Thursday, Oct. 28, from 6-9 p.m. during an artist reception, costume party and Boneyard Market associated with “The Skull & Skeleton in Art VII: Folk Art to Pop Culture” gallery show. The event is free and open to the public.

In additional to cultural events, students from the Hispanic Club joined students from the medical assisting program to volunteer in the MetroHealth BREAST/Amigas Unidas program which took place in Painesville, Sept. 18. Students assisted the MetroHealth team in performing screening mammograms for members of the Hispanic community. The event was intended to coincide with Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October) and Hispanic Heritage Month. Community participants were also offered COVID vaccines, blood pressure screenings and information about educational opportunities at Lakeland.

The Hispanic Club at Lakeland is planning more activities to honor Hispanic Heritage Month which runs from Sept. 15 – Oct. 15, 2021.

About Lakeland’s Hispanic Program

The Lakeland Hispanic Program aims to encourage and empower diverse students as they pursue their education at Lakeland Community College. Hispanic students at Lakeland reflect a variety of Spanish-speaking cultures and countries including the North, Central and South Americas and the Caribbean. The program supports students, who are often the first in their family to go to college, through peer groups, leadership opportunities, mentorship, and connections to Hispanic leaders in the Northeast Ohio region. Key to the program is a firm understanding and respect for Hispanic culture and community. The program also oversees the Hispanic Club, which is a student-driven group that coordinates campus events for the education and enrichment of all Lakeland students.

For more information about Lakeland’s Hispanic Program, call 440.525.7576 or email Lissette López Piepenburg at LPiepenburg1@lakelandcc.edu.

About Lakeland Community College

For more than 50 years, Lakeland Community College has impacted thousands of lives through learning. Founded in 1967, Lakeland was the first college in Ohio created by a vote of the people. True to its mission, the college provides quality learning opportunities to more than 10,000 credit students to meet the needs of the community at its campus in Kirtland and online.

Accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, Lakeland offers more than 140 associate degree and certificate programs that may lead to high-demand careers or transfer to four-year institutions. The college also provides access to bachelor’s, graduate and doctorate degrees along with certificates and endorsements on campus through the Holden University Center of Lakeland, in partnership with 12 four-year institutions.

Lakeland Hispanic Program

By: Lissette Piepenburg, Hispanic Program Coordinator

Kerry Jonke
kjonke4@lakelandcc.edu
440.525.7278