Find Your Community
"In my journey through HCC, I found a community of people who became my village ... HCC's incredible faculty – they have changed my life. ... These are the people that will get on you when you need to be got. They worry, and they care about their students." – Allanah Milgros Brunt
Alannah Milgros Brunt '24, a Latinx Studies major from Springfield and SAMP ambassador, was one of three student speakers at HCC's first-ever Fall Graduate Reception on Wednesday, Nov. 29, where she gave the following remarks. Alannah will attend the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the spring.
'I started at HCC in fall 2020. I flunked out of the first semester, and then the second semester, I passed one class. I was working a ton of hours and had not yet invested in school. I hadn't found a way to get excited about being a student yet. It was COVID times, folks, and it was not fun.
But fear not. In my journey through HCC, I found a community of people who became my village, and I want to tell you about them. My first involvement was with the college radio station, WCCH. I walked in and said "I want to do this!" and Stevie Converse, the faculty advisor to the radio station, looked at me and said "Yes, Please let's do it!"
I became a DJ and took on a leadership role in the radio station. I also learned that I'm really good at evangelizing. I am great at getting other people involved in things that I am excited about. I used that to help the radio station grow and now they have a ton of folks doing really great work.
Then, I met Lindsey Pare and became part of Student Engagement. That is where I first built my community and made friends. I helped organize and facilitate a ton of great events, and to this day I continue to participate in all the things they put on for campus in support of my fellow students.
I was then introduced to SAMP, the Student Ambassador Mentorship Program. I joined because it looked like a good leadership opportunity, and, because, in the past, I had never been given the chance to explore that part of me. Through SAMP, I got an internship at the Financial Aid office, and I've learned so much through helping my peers with their different financial aid questions.
In the midst of all of that: I was also in clubs: Lots and lots of clubs! I've been involved in the Radio Club, in the Psych Club, and now am even co-president of the Latinx Empowerment Association (LEA Club).
Then, on my 21st birthday, in the middle of the Latinx Fiesta, I found El Centro. I found people who look like me, who understand me, and who can help me navigate higher education in a way that I had never seen before. I love the community that El Centro provides and the people who are here who help me find joy. Having access to folks who have different experiences but understand who I am is so helpful. P.S. Those Monday morning Cafe con Leche events have literally saved my life.
Finally, let's talk about the homies: HCC's incredible faculty. They have changed my life. (The OG Homies are Professors Raul Gutierrez, Monica Torregrosa, and Alfonso Herrera-Neal) These are the people that will get on you when you need to be got. They worry, and they care about their students.
A special shout-out to Professor Gutierrez, who taught my first Honors course and got me interested in the Latinx Studies major. He has been there for me throughout so many of the challenges I've experienced in the last year and opened the door to so many amazing opportunities I didn't even know I was capable of.
Now, I want to take a moment to thank my parents. I want to thank my dad, a fellow HCC alum, for showing me how to get through college gracefully. And, I want to thank my mom. Even though she is no longer with us, she was my first-ever cheerleader. She would be so proud of me. I did this for her, and I did this for me.
My future is bright. I am transferring to UMass Amherst in the spring. I will be majoring in Spanish with a minor in something – I'm still figuring that out. What I do know is that I want to graduate and come back to HCC as a faculty member in the Spanish and Latinx Studies department. And, since we're talking about bright futures and change makers, my ultimate goal is to eventually be the president of HCC. So, to my fellow fall graduates, my best advice to you is to ask questions, to find the things you are interested in, and the people who care as much as you do. Find your community and run with it!"
Read the other speeches from HCC's first Fall Graduate Reception:
Marcos Figueroa - Weathering the Storm
Angela Tindell-Gula – Not Just My Degree
See more photos in our Facebook photo album
In the News: HCC holds first Fall Graduate Reception, Western Mass News
PHOTO: Alannah Milgros Brunt
