Samuel Saldivar, President of UCHO and founder of the Hispanic Organization of Texas Students (HOTS).

I am just one of hundreds of Latin@ students who have benefited from being involved with student organizations at Ohio State. Student organizations provide a place for new students to become involved and offer returning students help with building deeper, stronger roots at Ohio State. The University-Wide Council of Hispanic Organizations (UCHO) has the unique role of serving as an umbrella for many Latin@ organizations on campus. Our 12 member organizations exhibit a strong diversity of interests, focuses, and missions.

Our main purpose as a council is to create networking and familial bonds between new and existing organizations and members. UCHO has already begun working hard to create and foster a positive Latin@ atmosphere here at OSU. There are many upcoming events that UCHO will be hosting throughout the year that will increase understanding and awareness of Latin@ students and issues and build relationships. One of our largest upcoming events is a State Wide Latin@ conference with a focus on encouraging Latin@s to pursue graduate education. We are also working on quarterly events geared towards familiarity among our organizations.

“Life while at OSU can be greatly enhanced simply by becoming a member of our growing familia.”

We understand that when many students were preparing for a new year here at OSU, joining an organization might not have been at the top of your list of things to do. Now that you are settled, you should think about joining soon, if you have not already! There are wonderful opportunities that many of our organizations have to offer, ranging from community service and social events to networking and job fairs. Some of the many examples of events that UHCO member organizations have done include Alpha Psi Lambda’s weeklong program to address issues of gender violence, Club Tropical and Foclor Hispano’s expression of culture through their presentations and opportunities to dance, and the Hispanic Business Student Association’s and Society of Professional Hispanic Engineer’s attendance at national conferences to assist in job searches and providing opportunities to network with other Latin@s across the country. These can help you enjoy your time here while preparing for life after OSU. Likewise, life while at OSU can be greatly enhanced simply by becoming a member of our growing familia.

Having been a founding member of Hispanic Organization of Texas Students (HOTS), I have experienced first hand the fulfillment of leaving a lasting impression here at OSU once I am gone. Being a member of an organization gave me leadership opportunities, allowed me to network with other organizations and create strong bonds with individuals that shared many of the feelings and emotions I had concerning life at OSU. The biggest, most rewarding experience I have taken from becoming involved with Latin@ organizations has not just been the professional preparation of the satisfying community service, but the sense of family away from home that these organizations create. This is your time to make a difference and prepare yourself as you open the door to the world ahead, and being a part of an organization is just the key.