When senior Melyssa Cabrera first joined Raza Latina, she logged onto a small club meeting via Zoom during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, as a senior, she has restored the club. Though difficult, she is grateful to see Raza Latina’s growth.
“Rebuilding the club, I didn’t really have a plan. More or less, my goal is to not have this club die for next year. Like let’s build it into something that can continue going,” Cabrera said. “I now applaud all of the club presidents. Yes, it is hard.”
For senior April Ngo, taking over Vietnamese Student Association as president this year meant taking initiative and creating a club through her own ambitions. She believes that any type of club can allow for endless possibilities, but students have to take initiative.
“Clubs, especially in high school, are only what you make out of it as a student because they’re all student-led,” Ngo said.
For many cultural clubs on campus, the goal is to create community. Cabrera is proud of Raza Latina this year for bringing back the Hispanic Heritage Month presentation and having meetings packed with members.
“I feel like community is literally bonding with each other, having fun, just being happy and supporting. Supporting each other is so important, especially in Raza Latina, because it’s only built upon relationships,” Cabrera said. “If there’s no connection, if there’s none of that, then there wouldn’t be the club. There wouldn’t be a cultural club. It wouldn’t be people wanting to show up randomly. It’s really important to have those people there.”
For Ngo, one of the most rewarding parts of holding club meetings is seeing students of all cultures come together and be a part of the community. Ngo is most proud of the VSA fan dance performance, where members of all cultures were able to participate, learn choreography and be included in the club.
“We can have all our inside jokes and speak Vietnamese as much as we want, but if no one else sees, if no one else gets to experience what we experienced, then what’s the point?” Ngo said.
Cabrera hopes to build empathy and understanding when it comes to club meetings or events.
“You don’t have to be of our culture to understand our culture,” Cabrera said.
VSA and Raza Latina club advisor Hao Pham urges students to put themselves out there and use their voices to advocate for their clubs on campus. While it may seem small initially, Pham believes clubs can have a huge impact on students.
“I would like to see the kids just take courage and exercise their rights as far as their First Amendment, even at the school level, and just use that as a starting step,” Pham said. “Because out there in the real world, everyone’s gonna need to figure out where they stand.”
Attending University of California, Davis this fall, Ngo is excited to join the VSA at her college and experience being a part of a club environment once again.
“I like being a part of something bigger than myself, and the VSA at Davis is big. I look forward to being a part of something even bigger than Santa Clara,” Ngo said.
Pham encourages graduating seniors to seek community wherever they are, whether it is a club, school or neighborhood.
“Just something about clubs, where you welcome people and especially out in the real world where you don’t have to be ashamed or worried because we’re all in this together,” Pham said. “Clubs have a welcoming sort of energy. Like, no pressure, just a welcoming atmosphere.”
Having worked alongside her officer board throughout this year, Ngo is proud of the students going into VSA leadership roles for the upcoming year. She is grateful for her team and is excited to see what they accomplish in the 2024-2025 year.
“I always viewed my officers as my team, like my sisters,” Ngo said. “They are incredibly intelligent and considerate women. They’re amazing at what they do and how they helped me.”
For students seeking to create a new cultural club on campus, Ngo encourages students to ask for help and be confident, consistent and proud of their work.
“Find help because you’ll need it. Just trust your peers and trust yourself,” Ngo said. “Because no matter what you do, if you make a club, you can’t do anything wrong because you’re contributing to the community already.”