Judit Guillen is a sophomore who is on the pre-nursing track at KU and is also an executive member for the Hispanic American Latino Organization (HALO) and a member of the KU Women of Color (WOC). Guillen stated that education was always an important part of her life, which is what led her to the pre-nursing track because of a moment in which she had to serve as a medical aid to her mother. One of Guillen’s passions is her love for an organization she is in HALO. When Guillen stepped onto the KU grounds, she needed a space that felt like home and that had individuals she had similarities with, she stated, “HALO was the home I needed at KU.”
Some of the Members of the HALO Organization
In the recent weeks KU had an event which was categorized as carrying stereotypical values of Latinos, in particular Mexicans. The Rock Chalk Revue hosted skits, one which began to receive responses of #ImNotPaco all over Twitter. When speaking of the event Guillen said, “This event got many HALO members and other Latinos on the KU campus offended because it was the only sole of representation they had.” Events with these misconceptions have occurred multiple times and Guillen, HALO members and other Latinos on campus want to prevent them from happening again, which is why they let their voices echo through social media and would do it however many more times was necessary. Guillen also shared, ” HALO is an important organization because it is about the Latino Community and how they do not want to feel invisible or unheard on the KU Campus”.
Guillen also shared another organization she is a part of- KU Women of Color. She described this organization saying, “KU WOC is a safe space where I can come together with other women that are minorities and have shared similar struggles to me.” KU WOC is an organization that talk about issues relevant to all women and not a sole representation, which is usually given to white women in the United States.
Guillen shared that her daily life at KU consisted of early classes, gym time, completing homework for classes, and preparing texts and documents for classes or her organizations the following day. Although she is a person who is heavily involved on campus, she like anyone else loves to have fun, one of her favorite activities is walking on mass street with her friends to find unique clothes stores to shop in. She shared that her work on the KU campus is barely beginning and every time she has a bad day, she finds herself telling herself , “I can do it and I will do it.”
All photos provide by Judit Guillen Montelongo