Students and families attended Sam Houston STEM Academy's Hispanic Heritage Night celebration on Tuesday. The event included booths from local businesses, face painting for children, a performance by the Marshall High School Mavettes and a quinceañera dress walk.
Jovita Ortiz-Puerto, the principal's assistant, led the event. She said the school has held Cinco de Mayo celebrations in the past and wanted to host an event for Hispanic heritage to bring in more of the school community. "With the dynamics of our campus, I thought it would be more useful and educational to bring everybody in because we do have all cultures and traditions going on," she said.
The school displays a Day of the Dead altar, called an "ofrenda," each year. Ortiz-Puerto said the event committee wanted to highlight the tradition this year and reached out to a family to help arrange the altar. Jennifer Olvera and Carla Rangel Olvera, who are from Mexico, said they took part because they want their children to learn these traditions. Both have children who attend Sam Houston STEM.