When I walk into school during Mexican American History Month, I feel something different in the air—it feels like me. The colors displayed, the music, and the way our teachers highlight leaders who look like my family—it all reminds me that I belong here.

This week, in Transition and Credit Recovery, our theme is Inspiration and Legacy. Each of us is choosing a Hispanic or Latinx leader, athlete, or activist to study. I picked someone whose story connects to my own. I get to share a picture of them, one of their quotes, and write about why they matter. It feels powerful to see how their words and actions still make a difference today—and how their lives inspire me to keep pushing for my own goals.

At home, I’ve always known my culture is beautiful. I hear Spanish at my family’s dinner table, taste it in tamales and pozole, and see it in the papel picado we hang for birthdays.

But at school, I didn’t always see or hear those pieces of myself. This project changes that. It shows my classmates that people from my community have shaped history and continue to lead the way.

At school now, it’s not just about one month. The celebration is a reminder that my voice matters all year long. When teachers invite me to share about my family traditions, or when classmates discover something new about the leaders we’re studying, I feel seen. Mexican American History Month doesn’t just teach us about the past—it teaches me that my story has a place in the present and in the future and that is how it is here from day to day. I remember Mr. Matt asking me almost daily last year what was for dinner? He loved to hear what my traditional Mexican family ate!

This is only the beginning of the celebration. Week by week, we’ll keep exploring stories, traditions, and voices that lift us all up. By the end of the month, we won’t just know more about Mexican American history—we’ll carry the pride and inspiration with us every single day.