Harding University Office of Multicultural Engagement

10/15/2026

Multicultural Engagement highlights:

Bran Vasquez Xiomara
Senior
Elementary Education
North Little Rock, AR

What is one tradition your family celebrates that is special to you?
One tradition that is especially meaningful to me is our family’s way of celebrating Christmas Eve. We gather together, cook traditional Guatemalan foods like tamales and ponche (hot fruit punch), share stories, and stay up until midnight to welcome Christmas as a family. It’s a moment filled with warmth, gratitude, and connection, and it reminds me of the importance of togetherness and honoring where we come from.

If you could share one thing about your culture with the Harding community, what would it be and why?
I would share the deep sense of community and hospitality that is central to Hispanic culture. There is a beautiful emphasis on caring for one another, welcoming people in, and celebrating life through food, music, and shared experiences. I believe this spirit enriches any environment, and sharing it helps build stronger, more inclusive relationships within the Harding community.

Who or what has had the greatest impact on your Harding experience and how?
The greatest impact on my Harding experience has been the professors in the College of Education who have encouraged me, challenged me, and helped me grow into the teacher I’m becoming. Their support and belief in me have shaped my confidence and my passion for teaching. They’ve modeled what it means to lead with compassion, excellence, and purpose.

10/12/2026

Multicultural Engagement highlights:

Valerie Sanchez
Graduate Student
Physician Assistant Studies
Jacksonville, FL

What is one tradition your family celebrates that is special to you?
Christmas is a very special time of year for my family. We typically celebrate Día de las Velitas which is a Colombian tradition where people lay out candles on their porch the night of December 7-8th as a sort of representation for lighting up the way for Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem before Christ’s birth. During this time we also come together and to do Novenas and Misa de Aguinaldo (a Puerto Rican tradition) which involve going to church before dawn 9 days consecutively before Christmas and nighttime prayer. This is also a moment for all of us to bring delicious dishes like coquito, empanadas, arepas, tamales, etc. and spend time with one another. These moments are special to me because they represent a beautiful way in which prayer, food, and community brings us together.

If you could share one thing about your culture with the Harding community, what would it be and why?
The music! It is very versatile, each one tells a different story and it is hard to not dance to — you can have songs with words that literally have no meaning it’s just a made up word, but the musical elements of the song is what makes it lively and irresistible to not tap your foot to (ie. the Kulikitaka ti song)! Or the opposite, you can still dance and listen to a Vallenato song (like Los Caminos de la Vida, Diomedes Dias) which is a folk type of music that evokes a deep feeling in the heart meditating on different paths of life. Each song can be so different from the other and provoke different interpretations, yet it still connects people together through dance and emotion.

Who or what has had the greatest impact on your Harding experience and how?
The whole HUPA Staff! They are fantastic!

10/07/2026

Yesterday, Black Student Association and Student Government Association leaders had lunch with Laconia Terrio, the first African American to serve as SGA president.

10/05/2026

Multicultural Engagement highlights:

Alanis Ceron
Freshman
Communication Studies
Oaxaca, Mexico

What is one tradition your family celebrates that is special to you?
Velas istmeñas

If you could share one thing about your culture with the Harding community, what would it be and why?
Since Harding it’s a Christian place, I think it would be amazing to share how my hometown has a great and similar connection with God and spirituality. We find spirituality as a way of self-expression and God as the reason to be alive and do right.

Who or what has had the greatest impact on your Harding experience and how?
I didn’t expect that people were so nice and welcoming. I really enjoy how important spirituality is for everyone, and now I notice the importance of feeling embraced by the student community.

09/29/2026

Today, Multicultural Engagement highlights:

Zoe Hidalgo Cuevas
Sophomore
Theater and Design Major
Cancun, Mexico

What is one tradition your family celebrates that is special to you?
The morning after Christmas Eve is my favorite tradition ever because my family and I all just chill together, drink hot chocolate, and enjoy the leftovers from last night.

If you could share one thing about your culture with the Harding community, what would it be and why?
One of the things I would love for people to experience from my culture is the warmth and hospitality that are so deeply rooted in who we are as Mexicans. One thing I truly love about Mexico is the way we open our hearts and our homes to others. We have this beautiful way of making people feel welcome, cared for, and like they belong, even if they come from a completely different place. In Mexico, it doesn’t matter where you are from or how different your story may be; there will always be an open door, a warm meal, and a place for you at our table. I think that is one of the most beautiful things about my culture: we don’t just welcome people into our country, we make them feel like they are part of our family.

Who or what has had the greatest impact on your Harding experience and how?
My social club, PTP, has had the greatest impact on me because they truly feel like family. They have always made me feel loved, supported, and like I belong.

09/15/2026

Today is the first day of Hispanic Heritage Month. Multicultural Engagement would like to highlight our students who represent this rich culture.

Isaac Espinoza
Freshman
Electrical Engineering
Delores, Nicaragua

What is a tradition your family celebrates that is special to you?
Christmas

If you could share one thing about your culture with the Harding community, what would it be and why?
I would love to show the food because it is one of the most significant things from our country.

Who or what has had the greatest impact on your Harding experience, and how?
The people, because being in a new place is sometimes really difficult, have made it easier for me with their kindness and inclusion.

06/16/2026