SOMOS Welcomes Alums for "Legendary" Panel

As a Class V student, I am a member of Winsor’s affinity group for Latinx students called SOMOS, which means “we are”' in Spanish. SOMOS recently planned and hosted an Assembly that focused on the Latinx legacy at Winsor, which we defined as the community and documentation of past, present, and future Latinx students at Winsor. There were many incredible parts throughout our Assembly such as our astonishing dance moves, a beautiful slideshow, and—in my humble opinion—a legendary panel. 

This panel comprised of three of Winsors most iconic alums including Maia Monteagudo ’06, our beloved guidance counselor, Anshi Moreno Jimenez ’15, co-founder of SOMOS, and Monica Leitner-Laserna ’03 a bilingual educator, herbalist, chef, and business owner. During the panel, they shared stories and experiences that explained how their Latnix identity and culture affected and was affected by their lives at Winsor and beyond. Anshi described how when she first got to Winsor her parents did not know where to fit in and that once they stepped into this space they were quieter. They were the smartest people she knew but a safe space had not been created for them to express that. In her Spanish class, Monica was considered a cheater because she was Latina, which she found hilarious because she was getting C’s in the class. 

Our panelists also gave every Winsor student, Latinx or not, in the David E. and Stacey L. Goel Theater some of their wisest advice for Winsor and beyond. Maia shared an instance of culture clash at Winsor. In her family and culture, excellence was expected from her, but she quickly discovered that Winsor demanded perfection. During her time here she realized that everyone defines excellence and perfection differently, and that her excellence may be viewed as someone else's perfection, and vice versa. As a result, she learned to be excellent by her own standard and not allow anybody else to change her definition of it. In order to take care of her mental health during difficult times at school, Anshi played sports as a healthy and fun outlet! To close out our Assembly, Monica reminded us all to always be our own inner coach and to keep ignoring our inner critic even when it seems like it is screaming at you. 

I will never forget these incredible women and all of their authenticity and advice. During the entirety of this Assembly, all I could think about was how happy little Class II Mia would be to see her culture and identity celebrated on the Winsor stage. It is my hope that SOMOS will be able to continue these Assemblies so all the Latinx students, both new and old, know that they belong at Winsor, that they are valued at Winsor, and there will always be a community of people just like them waiting to uplift each other every Day 3 at lunch.