Historic First: Pathways to Success Grant Celebrates Heritage and Community Hosting Hispanic Heritage Month Fiesta
Tuesday, September 23, 2025
For the first time in campus history, BHCC transformed its indoor Quad into "Nuestro Patio" to honor Latinx heritage, inviting all students to share how they would like to be celebrated. We came together on September 16 to celebrate el Mes de la Herencia Hispana and the successful completion of the Pathways to Success (Title V) grant at the Hispanic Heritage Month (HHM) Fiesta. This groundbreaking event reflects the vision of Maritza Onodje, Director of Strategic Enrollment and Student Success Initiatives, who led the Pathways to Success grant activities.
Maritza extends her heartfelt gratitude to her steadfast leader, Alicia D’Oyley, principal investigator of the Pathways to Success Grant, to everyone who made this celebration possible, and, most importantly, to those who attended. Witnessing BHCC's transformation into a Pathways college brings immense joy, and she envisions a lasting legacy centered on culturally sustaining community building through financial, academic, and career planning, as well as pathways programming. From an academic and college experience perspective, the expansion of Pathways will continue to provide students with additional opportunities to explore, refine, and achieve their personal goals.
From a student experience perspective, she shares, "I hope the legacy of Pathways can be remembered for its focus on building community, but most importantly on the importance of coming together to share the beauty and diversity amongst our student body and comunidad," Maritza shared. "Today we celebrated la herencia hispana/latina, tomorrow I hope to celebrate students in the ways they so candidly shared during our beautiful Tuesday afternoon together."
“One of the most significant takeaways from this event was the power of culturally focused engagement for our students, which is a core outcome of the Pathways to Success grant that Ms. Onodje has championed for the past several years,” said Alicia D’Oyley, Dean of Enrollment Management. When students feel a connection to their culture, they are far more likely to engage deeply in campus life at Bunker Hill. During the event, we invited students to tell us how they would like to see their cultures celebrated at BHCC. Students emphasized music, food, creativity, and dance as central expressions of their identity. This event offered all of those elements and more.”
“This HHM Fiesta in Nuestro Patio marks an end to a grant, but a continued commitment to fostering deeper personal connections across campus, ensuring every student feels seen, celebrated, and valued in their unique identity and heritage,” Maritza adds. As the Pathways to Success grant comes to a close, the celebration was an opportunity to reflect on achievements, honor the community’s contributions, and look ahead to the bright futures of BHCC students. The event captured the spirit of togetherness—¡todos son bienvenidos!
The celebration showcased both culture and community, offering fun activities for all ages, tasty refreshments, and chances to participate in campus pathways experiences. Guests were also encouraged to share their ideas on future campus events and ways to celebrate and honor cultural diversity at BHCC. We welcomed students, families, and community members for an afternoon filled with music, games, mocktails, and opportunities for connection.
Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated nationally from September 15 to October 15.
Students | Continue to tell us how you would like to be celebrated on campus.
View all photos from the event on Facebook.