Walking into the classroom, the first things you notice are the laughter, the sense of community, and the members working together. After a moment, you start to realize that this is no ordinary club, it’s a family. And at the center of it is Nely Luna.
Luna is a senior who has taken on the role of president of the Latino Student Union the last two years. Yet for Luna, it has been a rewarding and a memorable experience. It all started when her sister Katy Luna, a former LSU president, became her source of inspiration.
“My sister was a part of the LSU, so before I even got to the high school I was already helping her and she would tell me about the club. I wanted to join, and it just sounded like a lot of fun,” Luna said.
Even with acquiring this new exciting role, Luna had encountered many challenges, many relating to the planning of the club’s events and activities. This often induced much of the stress that comes with her leadership. With these added responsibilities, she says she prioritizes her time management and strong communication.
“It’s a lot of planning. I feel like it’s very stressful to get all of our schedules in line so that we can meet. A big thing is that a lot of people are just eager to have a meeting, and they don’t understand that we actually need a plan ahead,” Luna said. ”There’s just times where it’s just miscommunication, and we just needed to work better to know who was going to be there”.
The frequent struggles that Luna faces have taught her to overcome other challenges, which she had to discover in this journey. For Luna, it was about truly stepping into her presidential role and having to handle by these unexpected difficulties of her own accord.
“I feel like Katie would always just tell me how a meeting went or what she did. But it would have been nice to know that sometimes not everyone is gonna be there to help. Sometimes you truly just have to do it on your own,” Luna said.
But with the help of the LSU board, Luna does not have to carry all that weight on her own. She says members work together through these difficult moments. Luna also noticed that the connection and support from each member brings out much of the positive side of her role.
“All of our board members are just so willing and I can always just count on someone. Everyone’s just so willing to help and just on it,” Luna said.
For Luna, the club not only reflects the members’ culture and identities, but also her own. She finds that her time as president has been shaped by all these memories and moments with her fellow LSU members.
“It is my identity and just joining LSU is just the way to express myself, and I’m so proud to be a Mexican. It’s just a lot of fun to show that at school,” Luna said.
Thomas Doering, long-time sponsor of LSU, also understands the uniqueness of the club and what comes with it.
“What makes it different? Easily all the cultures of our Latino community here in Noblesville is what makes it unique. We have students coming to these meetings who have grown up in entirely different ways, parts of the world, and each have unique perspectives and stories. During meetings, I love that even with the diversity of the club, we’re able to find common games, sports, foods and candies that everyone seems to enjoy,” Doering said.
Despite LSU’s goal of creating a space for Latinos across the school, Luna sees the club as an opportunity for others to come together and celebrate their culture.
“We want everyone to feel included even if they don’t know how to speak Spanish. It’s okay we will help them, there’s no need for them to have Hispanic blood,” Luna said.
Senior Adriana Leal Cortez, the LSU secretary, also wants the club to be an inclusive experience, where everyone can form part of this community.
“I feel that’s the main thing because the whole club is for them. We want them to have fun, enjoy themselves, feel comfortable and feel welcomed,” Cortez said, “We’re not going to make anyone feel left out or anything. The whole point is to have everyone feel that they’re part of a family.”
Luna’s time at LSU allowed her to build a tight knit family and cultivated a sense of belonging for the group’s members. For Luna, it was about creating a space for many Spanish speakers and Latinos who craved a place where they could openly form that community.
“That’s why it’s a little special, just because if people ever feel alone or they feel like there is no place for them at this school, that’s what LSU is for, they can find their people there. They can feel free to talk in their native language and just have fun with people that understand,” Luna said.
