UCF Housing Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month Posted Wednesday, September 16, 2020 @ 2:31 PM Up until his move to the United States in 2010, Tower III Resident Assistant Kendry Rodriguez called Bonao, Dominican Republic his home. He is currently a Junior majoring in Integrated Business with a minor in International Business and has enjoyed taking advantage of all the resources available to him as a UCF student, with some of his favorites being Career Services, CAPS, and the EXCHANGE. Before graduating from UCF, Kendry wants to leave his mark on the UCF community through his role as an RA. When asked about him, Tower III Area Coordinator Megan Lorincz stated, “Kendry is incredibly hardworking and focused on supporting those around him.” Kendry is usually the first to volunteer or help whenever the team needs extra hands on a task. “He celebrates difference, and he incorporates learning even in his door decorations,” Megan says. Last year, Kendry chose to decorate his floor with flags from all over the world to encourage his residents to learn about a different country. “It was such a fun way of leaning into the idea of being a global citizen.” He likes truly getting to know a person, and pays attention to the smallest details—a spectacular and sometimes rare quality in an RA. “Overall, it has been a joy to work with Kendry in Tower 3, and he is a great addition to the RA team.” Kendry’s Hispanic heritage and his ability to speak Spanish allows him to connect and relate with a larger number of residents, especially considering more than 25% of UCF’s student population identify as Hispanic. Along with his caring and intuitive nature, Kendry’s pride in his Hispanic/Latinx culture and excitement in representing other cultures allows him to build connections with his residents from all backgrounds. Kendry adds “Being Hispanic has helped me professionally by making me culturally aware. Hispanics are very diverse and include so many people of different races and nationalities. You really learn to be more respectful and tolerant of people of different cultures, races, beliefs, and so on.” “One Hispanic’s culture can vary from another’s, yet those experiences are all tied together and appreciated by the general Hispanic community,” Kendry says. It’s his favorite part about being Hispanic—the celebration and fusion of different cultures. One example of this is Kendry’s own experience not just as a Hispanic, but as an Afro-Latino. In fact, another goal of his is to create an Afro-Latinx Student Association at UCF that provides a safe space for fellow Black Latinxs. A space to feel comfortable, explore their identities, and share their culture & experiences within these identities. Kendry’s favorite Hispanic meal is Mangú Con Los Tres Golpes, a very popular dish made of mashed green plantains, fried salami, fried eggs, fried cheese, and delicious onion garnish. A fun fact he’d like to share about his home country is the Dominican Republic flag is the only national flag in the world with a Holy Bible in it. In Fall 2017, UCF’s Hispanic/Latino undergraduate student population exceeded the 25% threshold to be recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic Serving Institution in January 2019. Since then, UCF has embraced this HSI campus identity as it provides another opportunity for us to demonstrate our commitment to an inclusive and diverse campus. Learn more about UCF HSI here. Back