Rutherford, NJ – Hispanic Heritage Month at Felician University was a time to celebrate the rich cultural impact, contributions, and histories of our Hispanic and Latinx students, families, friends, and extended communities across the globe. Thanks to the Student Engagement team, the Felician Student Organization for Latinx/Hispanics (SOL), and members of our campus community, this month was packed with vibrant, educational, and engaging events that immersed attendees in the diversity of Hispanic cultures.

As a recognized Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), we believe events and immersive learning experiences like these can enrich our entire campus community. Whether students explore cultural traditions by trying new foods or visiting places of historical significance, these opportunities encourage them to see the world from new perspectives.

Ivy Loja Jarama, founder and President of SOL, reflected on her experience starting the organization and its impact on the Felician community: “As a new organization here at Felician, we wanted to make a difference and highlight our month as much as we could. Because Felician is a Hispanic-Serving Institution, we wanted to allow Hispanic/Latinx students to feel seen and heard in an environment where they can comfortably embrace their culture and, overall, find themselves. This club has helped me connect with my own culture and has given me purpose. I get to create events for students to enjoy and build a family away from home. Starting this club from scratch has been a wonderful experience, and I cannot wait to see what the future holds for SOL.”

This year, students were able to participate in a series of events over the month-long celebration, including creative design and dance classes, exploring local cuisine from Hispanic small business owners, and more. Here is a quick glimpse into some of the most popular activities hosted at Felician:

• 1-credit overnight, off-campus Hispanic heritage and leadership event in Washington, DC
• Collaboration on social media with Rutherford Coffee Co., including a student special for a Pastry and Coffee
• Hispanic Heritage Paint Night where students created beautiful canvases and sampled authentic snacks and small bites
• Salsa & Salsa, a night of dancing and making homemade salsa
• Noche de Lotería (Lottery Night)
• Taco ‘bout a Good Time taco-making night
• Hispanic Heritage Celebration with free empanadas
• Piñata competition with mocktails
• Movie nights: The Book of Life and Instructions Not Included
• Hispanic Heritage Trivia Night
• Passport Through Latin America

Shared experiences like these help create a stronger sense of belonging and pride for our Hispanic and Latinx students, while inviting our entire campus community to learn from each other, build connections, and appreciate the cultures and histories that have helped shape our world.

To stay up to date with Felician SOL’s latest events and find out how you can get involved, follow @feliciansol on Instagram.

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About Felician University 

Felician University is committed to supporting academic success at any stage of life. With over 2,800 undergraduate, graduate, and adult education students enrolled across the schools of Arts & Sciences, Business & Information Sciences, Nursing, and Education, Felician provides diverse learning experiences that equip all students with the skills to meet the demands of today’s society. Felician University was recognized in Newsweek’s America’s Best Colleges for Women 2026, earning distinction as the No. 1 college for women in New Jersey. Additionally, Felician has been named a best value school by payscale.com and Money magazine, and as one of the best college locations in NJ (#4) by niche.com. Our Master of Science in Nursing program is ranked one of the best online graduate nursing programs in the nation by U.S. News and the Princeton Review. We are proud to be designated as a Military Friendly School (Gold Status) for the fifteenth year, a testament to our dedicated support of Veteran students. Our diversity as an HSI (Hispanic Serving Institution) and MSI (Minority Serving Institution), with underrepresented students comprising more than half of the student population, reflects our inclusive and supportive environment and earned us a spot on Washington Monthly’s Top 100 HSI list (#30). With campuses in Rutherford and Lodi, New Jersey, our Franciscan values of respect for human dignity, compassion, transformation, solidarity with people in need, justice and peace are woven into the very foundation and development of tomorrow’s leaders. Felician University is sponsored by Felician Sisters International. For more information, please visit https://felician.edu/