HACER

 The learning community "HACER" stands for Hispanic Achievers Committed to Excellence in Results. HACER is a living-learning community designed to provide needed support for students on the path to graduation, who live on campus in GGC's suite-style housing as stated on their website.  I chose to write on this learning community because as a Hispanic student myself it is to be very beneficial and helpful for us. “A learning community is a block of linked courses or shared programs connected by an academic focus area or shared interest” as stated by Nancy Ciudad-Simmons in a video on HACER’s website ("HACER"). 

Modern Languages at Finger Lakes Community College

     Throughout the time that I’ve been in college I haven't really made any friends or had much in common with any students, so I’ve had somewhat of a hard time adjusting. I thought it was going to be how they showed it in movies, and that everyone was going to talk to everyone which wasn’t the case or at least not for me because I know everyone has their own experience. Starting college can be very scary, you never know what to expect. You’re no longer going to school forcefully; this is now your own decision and were all becoming adults and starting to be independent. In HACER I know that there are at least two things that I have in common with everyone which is that I’m Hispanic and that we all go to the same college. This learning community can also be very helpful for those that are having a hard time adjusting and finding their way around and wanting to talk to new people but not having anything in common or being scared to talk to new people not just academically wise. 

     HACER's purpose is to have students who have similar share classes and experiences; have students grow with other members of the community, while learning about and celebrating Hispanic/Latinx heritage and culture; having students enhance learning with peers, faculty and the diverse GGC communities. How else or in what way do students benefit from joining HACER? How does it help them be better? HACER is a big help for the Hispanic community because many of us come into college clueless because our parents didn't have the opportunity to go to college some not even high school. Not only that, but many of our family members also speak very little or no Spanish at all. With that being the case, we must figure many things out on our own because they don't have any knowledge on it, and it can be very stressful and frustrating especially in college. In HACER that is the case for many other students so the support they give is a big help. 

Georgia Gwinnett College

     The person I interviewed is Jocelyn Ortiz, who is a part of this learning community so I can know from a student’s perspective how it benefits them. Jocelyn is a family friend and she’s who I found out about HACER from, she always talks to me about it. I first started off by asking her how long she had been attending GGC and in HACER. This semester is her second semester attending GGC and she's been in HACER for the same amount of time. HACER has been a huge help to her throughout the time she attended GGC because she was having some trouble in the beginning due to the fact that she was a first-generation college student in her family and was a little lost in the beginning. I remember having that frustration of not knowing who to get help from or who to ask because no one around you knew. Almost none of her friends went to college so she couldn't even get help from them. Her parents began to doubt her in since she was having trouble in the beginning, and it would get to her head so she began looking around for resources that could help her out. That is when she came across the learning community HACER. HACER has been a huge help to her as she explained how comforted she felt knowing there were others who could relate to what she was going through and also the situation with her parents. One of the questions I asked her was "how'd you feel the first time you went around or went to a reunion in this learning community”, and she said, "since the very first day I felt welcomed and never judged, everyone was super nice".

     Of course, maybe not every student has the exact same experience, but this learning community seems to be really helpful and uplifting. For Jocelyn, it's helped her be more successful throughout her college journey which is one of their goals towards their students. She's also felt a lot more confident in what she's doing. For example, one thing she was having quite some trouble with is FAFSA in since her parents aren't citizens the whole filling out process can be a little more confusing than usual and her parents weren't able to help her with that, so she got help from members of HACER. She also mentioned how having this support system has also made her feel more safe and secure that she will be able to get through college no matter the obstacle. Having people next to you that are going through a similar journey as you seems to be comforting from what she’s been telling me. Not everyone has that opportunity but those that do like the member from HACER are very lucky.

     While doing my research and interviews on HACER I’ve learned that anyone that has the chance should join. HACER is a very positive learning community and I’m sure benefits everyone in it in some way. You never know when you can use some extra help or maybe even just support because college can get overwhelming. Sometimes you might feel like you’re not doing enough or what you do goes unnoticed but in HACER it never does. College can get tough sometimes and being surrounded by people that can relate to your struggles or that celebrate your triumphs with you can help. Hispanic parents can be very harsh sometimes and not appreciate or acknowledge enough what we're doing in college and how hard it can be and it’s not necessarily on purpose but it’s just because they want the best for us. Most of our parents came here to give us a better life and just want us to take advantage of that because they didn’t have the chance to.

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Works Cited

"HACER." Georgia Gwinnett College, https://www.ggc.edu/academics/learning                                    communities/hacer.

Ortiz, Jocelyn. Personal Interview, 26 Mar. 2023.

Image Credits

"Georgia Gwinnett College" by brandonjoseph is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0.

"Modern Languages at Finger Lakes Community College - Costa Rica 2013" by LeafLanguages is marked with CC0 1.0.