On Oct. 12, UT Southwestern held a virtual celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month with the theme of “Esperanza: A Celebration of Hispanic Heritage and Hope.” The centerpiece of the event was a panel discussion moderated by Ruben Esquivel, UTSW’s Vice President for Community and Corporate Relations, and featuring community leaders Elba Garcia, D.D.S., Dallas County Commissioner; Monica Lira Bravo, J.D., Chair, Dallas College Board of Trustees, and UT Southwestern’s own Juan Guerra, Vice President for Facilities Management.

Annie Guardado, Research Study Coordinator and Hispanic-Latino Business Resource Group (BRG) member, lent her vocal talent to the program with a stirring rendition of the traditional Mexican bolero titled, “Sabor a Mi” (“Taste of Me”) by Alvaro Carrillo. The audience also was treated to a reading by Scheduling Capacity Analyst and Hispanic-Latino BRG member Jackie Sifuentes of the Gabriela Mistral poem “Dame La Mano” (“Give Me Your Hand”).

The event included an overview by Mary Durbin, J.D., Manager of Diversity and Inclusion; remarks from President Daniel K. Podolsky, M.D.; an introduction of the panel by Melody Bell, Assistant Vice President of Academic Information Systems and Executive Sponsor of the Hispanic-Latino BRG; and closing remarks from Rudy Rodriguez, Manager of Technology Development Compliance and Chair of the Hispanic-Latino BRG.

In describing the purpose of Hispanic Heritage Month, Ms. Bell observed, “In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, we take this time to celebrate the contributions, culture, and influence of Latinos and Latinas in the United States and here at UT Southwestern. This is a time for us to pay tribute to the generations of Hispanics and Latinos who have positively influenced and enriched our nation and society.”

The Hispanic Heritage Month Signature Event was hosted in partnership with the Office of the President and sponsored by the Hispanic-Latino BRG and the Office of Institutional Equity and Access’ Division of Diversity and Inclusion.