West Texas A&M University faculty, alumni and current students will be in the spotlight in a series of events commemorating Hispanic Heritage Month.

The Hispanic Heritage Month speaker series will launch with a discussion led by Paola Albarran at 6 p.m. Sept. 13 in the Legends Club inside the Jack B. Kelley Student Center.

Dr. Albarran, who earned her master’s in communication at WT and a doctorate from Regent University, is a part-time communication instructor at WT and works as anchor, executive producer and manager of Amarillo’s Telemundo station, KEYU. Born and raised in Bogotá, Colombia, she started her journalism career at age 17 and has worked for Telemundo Amarillo since 2010.

WT alumnus Adrian Alejandre will speak at 6 p.m. Sept. 27, also in the Legends Club. Alejandre earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration with an emphasis in accounting from WT. He began his career in financial services while still attending classes at WT, and now works as senior vice president of lending at Education Credit Union.

The final event in the speaker series will feature Eric Sosa, a WT accountant, and his fellow Hispanic students in the inaugural cohort of WT’s doctoral program in educational leadership, set for 6 p.m. Oct. 4 in the Legends Club. Sosa will facilitate the conversation with his fellow students about their experiences in pursuing a terminal degree.

Other Hispanic Heritage Month activities will include a salsa making contest for WT students, faculty and staff from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 28 and a screening of the feature film “The Perfect Game,” about a Mexican team who won the 1957 Little League World Series, at 6 p.m. Oct. 5 in Legacy Hall inside the JBK.

“WT has been a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, and it’s vitally important to us to continue to reflect the changing demographics of the Texas Panhandle and to celebrate the culture and accomplishments of our Hispanic student population,” said Angela Allen, chief officer of diversity and inclusion.

Recruiting a student body that reflects the diverse population of the Texas Panhandle is a key goal of the University’s long-term plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

-West Texas A&M University