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SBU | Culture

“Pioneers of Change: Shaping the Future Together” – Progressive AND Fitting

Morgan Kilger Student Contributor, St. Bonaventure University
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at SBU chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

In 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson enacted a Hispanic Heritage Week. President Ronald Reagen changed this to Hispanic Heritage Month in August of 1988. Since then, Hispanic Heritage Month has been celebrated over a 30-day period. 

The 2024 theme is “Pioneers of Change: Shaping the Future Together”. Frankly, I think that theme is very fitting and goes well with the mission of Hispanic Heritage Month. 

The mission of Hispanic Heritage Month is to recognize the Hispanic/Latino Americans who shaped history. With this year’s theme, it fits because it’s giving more recognition to those that shaped Hispanic American history. 

From people like Cesar Chavez, a labor leader and social reformer, and Sylvia Mendez, a child advocate for school desegregation, to Jennifer Lopez and Ted Cruz; Hispanic Americans are shaping their futures throughout the decades. 

This theme wasn’t needed for these famous Hispanic Americans to make their marks, however. 

Before they became famous, Chavez, Mendez, Lopez and Cruz were already making their marks on the world. Lopez and Cruz got a head start with the publicity aspect of it because of their fame in Hollywood. 

“Pioneers of Change: Shaping the Future Together” is also a progressive theme as well as a fitting theme. I’m finding this theme progressive due to its wording. Every word in the title has progressive tones to it. 

They just mesh perfectly. 

Start with the word pioneer. Pioneer’s progressive tone comes from what a pioneer is. A pioneer is someone who is the first person to make a change or have an idea about something. Civil rights aren’t new ideas, but they are ever-changing ideas through time. 

Next is the word change. Change is probably as progressive as it gets. To make change is to make progress, which checks out in my book. I feel that this is the most progressive aspect of the theme’s title. 

Shaping the future is also pretty progressive. The progress being made by Hispanic Americans is shaping their futures as a group. 

Finally, the word together. Together is not only a progressive word, but it’s the perfect closing word for the title. The four words that come before together are progressive on their own, but having together makes the title more powerful than it was without it. 

Coming together is making a change. Coming together is shaping the future. 

From September 15 – October 15, watch the pioneers of change shape the future together in the most progressive and fitting way in modern history. 

Morgan Kilger

SBU '26

Morgan is a second-year writer and co-social media chair for St. Bonaventure University’s chapter of Her Campus, and is very excited to continue writing about what she is passionate about. This includes: mental health, pop culture, academic tips, and life experiences. She is also excited to be part of the executive board this year and help bring HCSBU to life on social media.

Outside of Her Campus, you can find Morgan as Communications Officer for SBU College Democrats, a student ambassador, and dancing with the SBU Dance Team. As for her studies, she is a senior history and women’s studies double major with a political science minor. Morgan aspires to work in a museum or university archive.

In her free time, Morgan enjoys being herself with her loved ones. Whether it’s watching Riverdale with her roommates or taking post-dinner trips to Wendy’s, she loves to spend time with her friends. She’s also working through her “to be read” list before she graduates, which is pages upon pages long (every pun intended).