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Central High seniors ask board to back a year-round Hispanic Student Association
Summary
Two Central High seniors asked the board to support creating a year-round Hispanic Student Association to celebrate Hispanic heritage, provide volunteer opportunities and build cross-cultural engagement; school staff and community partners signaled support.
Seniors Ariana Chavez and Jasmine Flores asked the Battle Creek board for support on Sept. 9 to launch a year-round Hispanic Student Association at Central High that would celebrate culture, provide leadership opportunities and organize volunteer events.
"HSA will provide a place for Hispanic students to celebrate and take pride in their heritage," the students said, and they emphasized the club would be inclusive of non-Hispanic students as well. They said they have discussed the plan with school staff ("we already talked to Mr. Gillen about this, and we have his approval"), and they mentioned community partnerships with Gloria Fox and the MASA Center.
The students outlined planned activities including bake sales, soccer tournaments and volunteer visits to middle schools to teach dances or read to younger students. They also described a governance plan with elected officers and an intent to mentor future students.
Victoria Fox, a parent and community leader, publicly supported the proposal and noted the work students already do with local partners, saying clubs like this help retain families and strengthen school-community bonds.
The board arranged a brief follow-up: trustees asked the student organizers to meet with district staff (Mr. Perry) before leaving to make sure the district could provide support and guidance. No formal board vote was needed or taken.
Next steps: Student organizers to meet with Mr. Perry to coordinate support; the club’s formalization will proceed through school-level approval processes.
