HALO is the Hispanic American Leadership Organization, a student-led club here at Garden City Community College. This group is known for helping the community through its acts of service. HALO hosts events and gatherings for those interested in participating or helping out.
Recently, on April 15, they hosted the 37th annual Hispanic Student Day. This event is meant to empower high school students and help connect them to educational resources that will enhance their career opportunities. In the event, they have people who come to share their stories as minorities, how they faced hardships and many challenges and how they overcame these obstacles and gained a sense that they belong in higher education fields.
During the event, there were two speakers. One speaker, Dr. Jared Torres, talked about his hardships as a minority and what he had to face to reach where he is today. As he went through school, he did not have much help; he had no scholarships to work with and he had a kid that he had to help put food on the table for. Through his story, he showed the students that even when life gets hard, you still have to push forward and strive for what you want in life.
The last speaker, Robert DeLeon, is an Air Force veteran. He is highly known around the community. A pastor of the Church of the Remnant. He serves the people and helps families within the community. He helps the people in need. He showed the students that, even as you continue your journey forward, you can still help those around you and even if you do not have much, you can still offer some kind of help. After the speakers, students had the opportunity to attend sessions to see what it is like to be in a real college class. There were other sessions that showed students how to apply for financial aid and what they can look forward to regarding admissions and advising.
After the sessions ended, the HALO executives decided to host a music trivia for the students to take a brain break, during which they could win prizes. After the game, the students had their names drawn for a chance to win scholarships for their future. After that, they closed with a small farewell speech and were all dismissed.
