‘Together, We Are More’: Riverhead celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month at the high school

Hispanic culture took center stage at Riverhead High School Tuesday evening as the community came together for a joyful celebration of the music, dance, food and rich traditions of the many countries and regions represented by the school district’s students, families and staff.

The third annual Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration, coordinated by the high school’s Hispanic Leadership Club, carried the theme Unidos, Somos Más, or Together, We Are More.

Families packed the auditorium for a program presented almost entirely in both English and Spanish, with performances and videos featuring children from the district’s four elementary schools, traditional dances and students sharing reflections on their cultural roots.

The celebration extended beyond the stage. Exhibits lined the hallway, while foods representing different cultures and sweet treats from Celeste Bakery in Riverhead brought families together in the cafeteria before and after the performances. A student band provided music.

For Dr. Emmanuel Hernández, the district’s director of secondary education and data management, the evening’s theme was more than a celebration of shared heritage. It described the support that had carried him through a difficult childhood and helped him build a future he once struggled to imagine.

“I didn’t reach this stage because of solo talent. I didn’t earn my title through sheer individual willpower. I was carried here,” Hernández said. 

Growing up in a single-parent home marked by trauma and hardship, Hernández said, he was focused on getting through each day. By middle school, his grades were slipping, his motivation had faded and he felt invisible.

Then his reading teacher called his mother in for a conference. His mother arrived bracing for news that her son was failing or causing trouble.

Instead, Hernández recalled, the teacher began: “I’m not calling you in because he’s in trouble. I’m calling you in because I can see he’s hurting.” 

The teacher saw beyond his academic performance to recognize a child who needed help, Hernández said. Her intervention changed the course of his life.

His family, too, provided strength and encouragement. Years later, while defending his doctoral dissertation, he looked across the room at his mother and thought about her sacrifices and the many people who had made that achievement possible.

That experience shapes his work as the administrator known as Dr. Data, he said. Attendance records and grades can help educators recognize when a child is struggling and needs someone to notice.

“Data is not just cold numbers on a screen. Data is a tool for visibility,” Hernández said.

“My purpose as a leader is to make sure our data tells a full story, is accessible and is deeply human, so that no student in our district ever becomes invisible, and no child is ever reduced to a statistic.” 

The importance of community support and pride in one’s identity also ran through keynote speaker Ashley Solorzano Lopez’s remarks.

Solorzano Lopez, whose parents are from Guatemala, told the audience she is studying at Arizona State University and working as a Starbucks barista. She credited her experiences in Riverhead and the Hispanic Leadership Club with helping her develop leadership skills, confidence and a sense of responsibility to her community.

Participation in clubs and sports helped her meet people, work with others and discover opportunities for her future, she said. She encouraged students to value their language and cultural identity as they pursue their ambitions.

“My culture is not a barrier to achieve my dreams; rather, it is a strength that propels me forward,” she said. 

Hispanic Leadership Club President Herberth Lopez opened the program with a similar message, urging young people to honor their roots and the sacrifices of the generations before them.

“Never feel ashamed of your roots. Never think that your language, your accent, your last name, or your traditions are something you should hide,” Lopez said.

Throughout the evening, students and staff shared those traditions through songs, dances and narratives. Young children appeared in videos discussing their families, while others stepped onto the stage to perform.

Several female students modeled elaborate quinceañera dresses in a parade highlighting the tradition celebrating a young woman’s 15th birthday. An introduction explained the celebration’s connection to family, cultural identity and the transition from childhood into greater maturity and responsibility.

Phillips Avenue Elementary School’s presentation featured a dynamic young performer introduced as José, who performed Un Poco Loco from Coco. Earlier, he had also helped introduce Hernández.

Phillips Avenue Principal Stephen Hudson introduced a presentation bringing together the school’s Helping Hands students, Peacemakers and staff. The program included a dance honoring a school front office staff member’s Panamanian heritage and a performance by fourth-grade teacher Griselda Aguirre, who had performed the same song when she was a Phillips Avenue student.

Hudson celebrated former students who return to work in Riverhead’s schools, sharing their cultures and giving back to the community that helped shape them.

He also encouraged everyone in the audience to join the celebration.

“Don’t be shy. Get up, dance, clap, sing along, enjoy yourselves. We want to see everyone having fun.”

RiverheadLOCAL photos by Denise Civiletti