BROWNWOOD – October 16, 2025 – Howard Payne University recently celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month with several events on campus.
HPU student organizations Amigos Unidos and Student Activities Council joined together to host a Hispanic Heritage Festival on September 29, at the Ben and Bertha Mieth Outdoor Pavilion. The evening included live music, authentic Mexican food, crafts, games, live poetry readings and information about influential Hispanic leaders. Dr. Danny Brunette-López, HPU professor of Spanish and department chair, helped coordinate the event which featured several students.
“What began just a few years ago with only a handful of students has now grown into a celebration that welcomed more than 100 students at the 5th Annual Hispanic Heritage Festival at Howard Payne University,” said Dr. Brunette-López. “This growth is a testament to the dedication of Amigos Unidos, along with the Department of Spanish and Hispanic Studies, who partnered with HPU Student Experience to make this year’s event such a success.”
During the festival, HPU alumna Maria Anguiano ’92, executive director of special programs for Crowley ISD, shared a brief testimony. HPU students Aniyah O’Neal and Ariana Buitron also participated in the program.
“The festival was a meaningful opportunity to honor the accomplishments of past generations of Hispanic Americans, while also celebrating the richness of our traditions,” said Dr. Brunette-López. “Most importantly, coming together in Christ to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month as one community was a beautiful reminder of Howard Payne’s core values.”
Alek Mendoza’22, teacher at Brownwood High School, brought students from his Spanish I and II classes to participate in the Hispanic Heritage Festival.
The HPU Hispanic Alumni Chapter also hosted a Hispanic Heritage Luncheon on the same day with a panel of three alumni sharing stories of their experiences at HPU. Jordan Villanueva, instructor of Christian studies and assistant to the president for Hispanic relations at HPU, led the panel that included Natalia Lopez ’06, immigration attorney; Nereida Ceniceros ’05, bilingual school psychologist; and Bobby Flores ’08, general manager at Chick-fil-A in Brownwood.
A scholarship breakfast was held on September 20 to recognize Hispanic students who received scholarships this academic year, which was hosted by the HPU Hispanic Alumni Fellowship. The breakfast took place in the Doakie Day Art Center with several scholarship recipients in attendance. The first Hispanic scholarship was created at HPU in 1974.
For more information about HPU, visit www.hputx.edu.
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Cutline 1: Dr. Danny Brunette-López, HPU professor of Spanish and department chair, helped coordinate the Hispanic Heritage Festival.
Cutline 2: HPU students participate in HPU’s Hispanic Heritage Festival.
Cutline 3: Several members of HPU’s Hispanic Alumni Chapter are pictured at the Hispanic Heritage Luncheon with the panel of guest speakers.
