The Latino Living Center, a Program House located in Anna Comstock Hall, was founded in 1994 and brings students from various heritages and backgrounds together to embrace Latinx/a/o culture, history, and current events. Residents build camaraderie through programming like the Café Con Leche discussion series, Bienvenidos, the annual “welcome back” barbecue, and Latinx Heritage Month festivities, as well as through annual retreats, community dinners, move nights, and various celebrations, including Dia de los Muertos.
Maria Santa ’27 has lived in the Latino Living Center (commonly known as LLC) since she first came to Cornell in Fall 2023. She was nervous about moving away from home for the first time but quickly embraced life in her new home on the Hill. She made friends in the Program House by attending events, watching movies in the lounge with her peers, and starting conversations with fellow Cornellians.
“The Latino Living Center does a really good job making residents feel like they’re part of the community,” said Santa. “When you go back there at the end of the day, you feel like you’re going home where people care about you.”
Santa, now a second-year student, could have lived elsewhere on campus this year but chose to stay in the Latino Living Center because of the community she’s thrived in. She’s part of LLC’s COMO Council, which led her to her joining Cornell’s Residential Hall Association (RHA).
“Those are two things that pushed me forward and expanded my involvement in the Cornell community. I wouldn’t have gotten those opportunities if I wasn’t in LLC.”
LLC has also helped Santa stay in touch with her cultural identity. Born and raised in Columbia, Santa wanted to live in a place on Cornell’s campus where she could relate to her peers and be part of a tight-knit community.
“Here, most of us are Latinos. Most of us grew up with different cultures in general but see eye-to-eye on a lot of things. That helps make LLC feel like home.”
Santa’s peers in the Latino Living Center also inspire her to do her best.
“The people who live here are impressive and have achieved so much. It really motivates you. You have peers who keep you on track and help you become a better version of yourself.”
Above all else, Santa is grateful to have a strong network of friends she can turn to for support each day in the Latino Living Center.
“You may think you’re going through something alone, but then you talk about it with others who live in your residential space and realize they’re going through similar situations. That shared experience and the support you receive help create connections that last beyond your time at Cornell.”
If you have questions about the Program Houses at Cornell, contact the Housing Office at housing@cornell.edu or call 607-255-5368.
