On Thursday, Sept. 29, SM North held its annual Hispanic Heritage Program in the auditorium. The program consisted of student presentations, performances and a guest speaker.

Associate Principal Annette Gonzales said this year’s program was outstanding.

“Everyone did a great job pitching in,” Gonzales said. “It was a good experience for the students to get out in front of their peers and perform, speak and take on leadership roles. I think that’s important for them at this time in their lives to demonstrate that they can do something like that and prove to themselves that they’re maturing and that they’re capable of doing above and beyond what they normally would think.”

Junior Sandra Gonzalez danced in the program.

“I think everybody did a great job,” Sandra Gonzalez said. “Ana, for having guts and singing, and the poems were awesome, very touching.”

Gonzales said the students showed a lot of maturity by performing alone.

“It’s tough when you ask students to get up and perform in front of their peers,” Gonzales said. “ Groups do it all the time: band, choir, but when you’re doing it, and it’s just you, that’s a tough thing.”

Junior Axel Gomez said it’s important to have this program at North.

“It lets us know we are part of North,” Gomez said.

Gonzales said she hoped the students watching the program learned something from the performances.

“I know it’s about the performances and about the kids and us highlighting our own students, but I hope the students that were in the crowd could get the message,” Gonzales said, “of all the things that they shared about pride and loyalty and commitment and family and then on a more personal note, education. That students can accomplish and achieve anything that they want to and it’s really about not setting limits for ourselves, but about having dreams, having aspirations and going out and chasing them, and realizing that it’s going to be tough but the only person that’s going to get in our way is ourselves.”

Sandra Gonzalez said having the program at North gives the students an opportunity to learn something new.

“I believe this program is important for North,” Sandra Gonzalez said, “so students that aren’t Hispanic can have a little taste of our culture.”

Gonzales said students should be aware that their culture is important and recognized at North.

“I think it’s important as people transition here to know that we can appreciate their culture, share their culture, keep an identity about their culture but still blend in,” Gonzales said. “We also have a certain ethnic background or ethnic decent which is important to celebrate, it signifies to the students that we know those things are important.”