Felician University is pleased to observe National Hispanic Heritage Month (NHHM), which runs every year from September 15 through October 15. Felician will spotlight the contributions of both Hispanic and Latino individuals throughout National Hispanic Heritage Month. The above banner is credited to the National Education Association.

OCTOBER 14 SPOTLIGHT ON: JOSÉ ANDRÉS

José Andrés was born on July 13, 1969 in Mieres, Spain. He learned the craft of cooking from his parents and then found himself in the kitchen of Ferran Adrià’s groundbreaking avant-garde restaurant elBulli. He then immigrated to the US in 1991 where he and his partners established a group of award-winning restaurants and, after 23 years in the states, became a naturalized citizen.

Andrés restaurant group, ThinkFoodGroup, includes 31 restaurants that range from food trucks to multi-location vegetable-focused fast casual to world-class tasting menus. He is the only chef globally that has both a two-star Michelin restaurant — a coveted award given to restaurants that demonstrates excellence and skillfully crafted cuisine — and four Bib Gourmands — which signifies a restaurant that delivers a high quality dining experience at a reasonable price.

Chef Andrés is also widely recognized for his humanitarian work. In 2010, an earthquake devastated Haiti. Andrés cooked alongside displaced Haitians and began learning what comfort food really meant. From there, the World Central Kitchen was founded and became first to providing fresh meals to the frontlines in response to crises, while building food systems with locally led solutions. The WCK sources and hires locally wherever they can to jump-start economic recovery through food.

The WCK is worldwide. They’ve fed an island after Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico and have fed tens of millions of people throughout the pandemic. They had people on ground when Beirut was devastated, bushfires ripped through Australia and a volcano transformed a Spanish island. In the US, they were in Texas with thousands of asylum seekers, Kentucky after tornadoes and in Louisiana when a hurricane hit.

They invested in the Food Producer Network that trains aspiring chefs in skills & safety to build careers and the food economy. The WCK launched the Climate Disaster Fund — a $1 billion commitment over the next decade that supports communities impacted by climate crisis.

José Andrés was named Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic in 2003 and Humanitarian of the Year in 2018 by the James Beard Foundation, was named as 100 Most Influential People in 2012 & 2018 by TIME Magazine and was given a National Humanities Medal in 2015 by President Barack Obama.

OCTOBER 7 SPOTLIGHT ON: LAURIE HERNANDEZ

Lauren “Laurie” Hernandez was born on June 9, 2000, in New Brunswick, NJ to Anthony and Wanda Hernandez. At age six, she was signed up for gymnastics in her hometown – Old Bridge, NJ. When she was nine years old, she excelled at USA Gymnastics development camps.

In July 2016, Hernandez competed in San Jose, California for a spot on Team USA. She became known for her signature dance moves, bubbly personality and expressive face. She qualified for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games and competed with teammates Gabby Douglas, Aly Raisman, Simone Biles and Madison Kocian — also known as The Final Five.

Hernandez is one of only four Latinas to represent US Gymnastics at the Olympics. The others are Tracee Talavera (’84), Annia Hatch (’04) and Kyla Ross (’12). The US Women’s Gymnastics Team started participating in 1936.

At 16, Hernandez was the youngest member of the US Women’s Gymnastics Team in Rio. She won a gold medal in the team competition and a silver medal on the balance beam.

Post Olympics, Hernandez was a contestant on Dancing with the Stars, Season 23 and was the first Latina to win. She made a handful of celebrity guest appearances on TV shows such as Sesame Street, Celebrity Family Feud, Blue’s Clues and was a co-host of American Ninja Warrior. In 2017, she released her book I Got This: To Gold and Beyond and in 2018 she released a children’s book edition.

Outside of the gym, Hernandez, also known as The Human Emoji, likes writing poetry, reading, travelling and her favorite color is lime green.

SEPTEMBER 30 SPOTLIGHT ON: ROBERTO CLEMENTE

Roberto Enrique Clemente Walker was born on August 18, 1934 to Luisa Walker and Don Melchor Clemente in Barrio San Antón, Carolina, Puerto Rico. He was the youngest of seven children. At 17, he began his baseball career with the Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League.

In 1952, the Brooklyn Dodgers signed Clemente to its Minor League team and in 1954, he was selected first overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the Major League draft.

On July 25, 1956, he became the only player ever to hit a walk-off inside-the-park grand slam. Two years later, Clemente enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve and spent six months on active duty. He served until 1964 and was inducted into the Marine Corps Sports Hall of Fame in 2003.

Clemente was the first Latino to win a World Series as a starter, be named league MVP (1966), be named World Series MVP (1971) and be elected into the Hall of Fame (1973). He finished his career with exactly 3,000 hits.

Roberto Clemente was also known for his humanitarian efforts. He helped people in need across the United States and Central America and held free baseball clinics for children in Puerto Rico.

In late 1972, an earthquake hit Nicaragua and Clemente sent shipments of aid to them. After learning some shipments had been diverted, he accompanied the next shipment on the plane however, the plane crashed into the Atlantic, killing Clemente and 4 others on board.

Clemente was posthumously awarded a Congressional Gold Medal of Honor in 1973 and the only Hall of Fame member for whom the mandatory five-year waiting period was waived.

Clemente wore #21 and the number was retired after his death by the Pittsburgh Pirates and every September Roberto Clemente Day is celebrated.

SEPTEMBER 23 SPOTLIGHT ON: DR. ELLEN OCHOA

Ellen Ochoa was born on May 10, 1958, in Los Angeles to Joseph and Rossana Ochoa. Her Hispanic roots come from her paternal grandparents who were who born in Mexico and immigrated to Arizona before moving to California.

Ochoa earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Physics from San Diego State University as well as a Master’s and Doctorate degree in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University.

In 1988, Dr. Ochoa joined NASA as a research engineer at Ames Research Center. In 1990, after applying three times, she was selected as an astronaut and moved to the Johnson Space Center. It was in 1993 that she became the first Hispanic woman to go to space and served on a nine-day mission aboard the space shuttle named Discovery.

Dr. Ochoa has flown to space four times and has logged almost 1000 hours in orbit. She has been recognized with NASA’s highest award, the Distinguished Service Medal, and the Presidential Distinguished Rank Award for senior executives in the federal government.

In 2017, Dr. Ochoa was inducted into the US Astronaut Hall of Fame and currently serves as the Director of Johnson Space Center as the first Hispanic director and its second female director.

Outside of space, she is a classically trained flutist and enjoys chocolate mint ice cream, a short flat white from Starbucks, and the movie, Hidden Figures.

SEPTEMBER 16 SPOTLIGHT ON: POPE FRANCIS

Pope Francis, the first Latin American pope, was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina to Italian immigrants on December 17, 1936. He graduated as a chemical technician and then chose a path to priesthood, entering the Diocesan Seminary of Villa Devoto. In July 1973, he was appointed Provincial of the Jesuits in Argentina, an office he held for six years. Pope Francis has worked in the university sector as a Rector and parish priest. He has formerly held the titles of Bishop of Auca and Auxiliary of Buenos Aires, Episcopal Vicar of the Flores district, Coadjutor Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Archbishop, Primate of Argentina and Ordinary for Eastern-rite faithful in Argentina who have no Ordinary of their own rite.

On March 13, 2013, he became Supreme Pontiff. In 2015, he delivered his first Mass in the United States in his native language of Spanish at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC.

Pope Francis, also known as the “People’s Pope,” lives a simple lifestyle and emphasizes helping those in need. He’s a believer of science and has called for the protection of the environment. Francis’s papacy has been defined by his ability to focus global attention on the plight of immigrants, refugees, and trafficking victims. He loves dance, especially the tango, is a big fan of San Lorenzo soccer, and has a sweet tooth.