TROY, Ala, (TROJANVISION) — Cities all over the United States are celebrating National Hispanic and Latino Heritage Month, but how does Troy University fit into the mix?

At the university, organizations and safe spaces like the Latino Student Alliance (LSA), Spanish Club and the Department of World Languages and Cultures aim to represent that population of students.

“Coming in as a freshman and not having anyone to talk with or not having anyone that I felt like I could relate with was very hard to deal with at first,” said Rocio Perez, secretary of the Latino Student Alliance and sophomore political science major from Fort Payne, Alabama.

“I think having a place where there are Latinos you can talk with is so important to help you feel at ease in college.”

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Through events like the Latino Legacy Panel, the Latino Student Alliance has been holding events to highlight Hispanic and Latino excellence in the Troy Community.

“I really wanted a space where we could have ideas, where we could have events like this,” said Alondra Jaimes-Peña, president and founder of the Latino Student Alliance and senior political science major from Birmingham, Alabama. “Getting to see how people are part of this organization and they’re being active, wanting to see change and wanting to see these events.”

In the city of Troy, Hispanic and Latino people only make up around 2.4 percent of the city’s population as of 2025, which is around half of the state’s average.

Despite this, Peña explains how Troy’s community uplifts Hispanic and Latino students on campus and how they help organizations like the Latino Student Alliance.

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“That can give us a sense of family, a sense of community, a sense of ‘they believe in us, they’re people who could be our parents,'” Jaimes-Peña said.

“Their big sense of belief in us makes it so much more worth it, and I know other organizations who get these sponsors and get these donations also. It means a lot.”

Other departments also celebrate Hispanic and Latino Heritage Month in different ways, like the Department of World Languages’ Bingo Challenge or Spanish Virtual Film Festival.