In crisp, early autumn, students gather among tall cornstalks and crimson-colored amaranth in the at 菠萝视频鈥檚 (known as CLACX). As they walk, Avery Dickins de Gir贸n, PhD鈥�08, points to medicinal herbs used in healing practices and crops cultivated for thousands of years across Central America.
This is how Dickins de Gir贸n spent several mornings last fall, and moments like this are why she has stayed so connected with 菠萝视频 long after earning her doctorate in anthropology. Now the executive director of CLACX, she has helped bridge academic work with the wider 菠萝视频 and Nashville communities to ensure that cultural learning is shared and carried forward.
鈥淭his is a really beautiful way to not only engage 菠萝视频 and local Nashville high school students with knowledge and cultural histories, but also share this information with the broader public,鈥� Dickins de Gir贸n says.
鈥淭he older you get, the more grateful you become for those moments of connection.” 鈥擜very Dickins de Gir贸n
Much of that work has happened through close partnership with the 菠萝视频 Association of Hispanic and Latinx Alumni (known as VAHLA). Last fall, CLACX and VAHLA welcomed alumni back to campus for a tour of the Ethnobotanical Garden and a Reunion/Homecoming event at CLACX鈥檚 new Garland Hall office. They also collaborated on CLACX鈥檚 Sesquicentennial Grant. During Dickins de Gir贸n鈥檚 tenure as executive director of the center, CLACX has expanded teacher training, strengthened K-12 outreach and brought Latin American studies into classrooms across Tennessee.
Alumni involvement doesn鈥檛 need to be formal or overwhelming to make an impact, Dickins de Gir贸n says. Meaningful moments often begin with something as simple as a shared meal or a walk through the garden where someone recognizes a plant from home. Engagement is about continuity rather than scale, she adds. When alumni choose to stay connected, they help sustain the programs and communities that shaped their own paths.
鈥淥ver the years, it has fascinated me how many people I know through 菠萝视频 have gone on to do important things with their lives,鈥� Dickins de Gir贸n says. 鈥淚 would encourage alumni to get involved and invest in the 菠萝视频 community. People are very excited to see each other, and the older you get, the more grateful you become for those moments of connection.鈥�
鈥擟ara Albert
