Lone Star College-CyFair’s Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations include a series of speakers whose personal perspectives will motivate and inspire audiences.

“My hope is that students will feel empowered and that there will be enough evidence and testimony that they will feel that, you know what, if they can do it, if they can rise from obscurity, then there’s a possibility that I can too,” said LSC-CyFair Professor Raúl R. Reyes, who has more than 20 years in higher education.

In the 12:30 p.m. presentation Sept. 16, titled “Educational Legacy and Challenges of the Latino Community: Historical Background of People of Mexican Heritage,” Reyes kicks off the speaker series as he shares his perspective on Latino challenges relative to education.

“In terms of how I incorporate the Latino dimension, what I tell my students first and foremost, especially the minority, and the marginalized, that they traditionally lack inclusion from the historical narrative,” said Reyes. “I’d like to think that when students see folks like myself and the counter-narrative I offer in the classroom along with some of these players I bring in, they see themselves as part of the narrative.”

The next speaker presentation “Success through Education” will be held at 1 p.m. Sept. 17 and features Dr. Guadalupe Quintanilla, an associate professor in the University of Houston’s Hispanic Studies department. Dr. Quintanilla will share her personal experiences from challenges she has faced in her 50 years as a professor as well as steps to guide students toward success in education.

“Dr. Quintanilla, despite of many hurdles and challenges, found a way to educate herself and persisted in fulfilling her goals. She has been a powerful influence in the Hispanic community working tirelessly to encourage students to attend a university,” said LSC-CyFair Professor Dr. Preeti Singh. “Speakers like Dr. Quintanilla empower students as well as faculty. Her story is inspiring and has motivated many students across the nation.”

The next two presentations – “The Longoria Affair” and “Past, Present, Future Relevance” - address civil rights issues and will be held at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 19 and Sept. 24 respectively.

First, Professor John Valádez, a documentarian honored with an Emmy and Peabody Award, discusses the Mexican-American Civil Rights movement citing the story of racial injustice of Texas soldier Felix Longoria’s funeral arrangements.

Then, author Cecilia Garcia Akers provides her perspective of her father, the late Civil Rights leader, Dr. Héctor P. García, as she discusses his enduring life and her efforts to continue his legacy of advocating for equal rights.

“The beauty about the Valádez and Akers presentations is that Dr. Garcia was very much involved in the Longoria episode, so these two tie together,” said Reyes.

The speaker series concludes with “El Tiempo Se Pasa” at 12:30 p.m. Sept. 30 with LSC’s Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel Mario Castillo presentation on his journey of challenges, triumphs and experiences on his rise to success.

For information on these speaker series presentations, email Raul.R.Reyes@LoneStar.edu or go to LoneStar.edu/CyFair.