GANAS Leadership

Ganas - 1. Noun: The desire or willpower to do something, or make something happen; 2. Verb: You win, earn, reach, or improve. Our team chose "ganas" for the title of this program because it encapsulates our mission, as well as providing a familiar representation of Hispanic culture in this dedicated space. Apart from the meanings listed above, "ganas" often appears in the phrase, "Échale ganas" ("give it your all"). Many Latinx students grew up hearing this from parents, family members and friends whenever facing a sizable obstacle or opportunity. Our hope is that the GANAS leadership institute provides a new opportunity for our students to échenle ganas and grow as leaders.

• One hour sessions once a month
• One hour monthly meeting with a mentor.
• GANAS staff will notify you of any other activities outside of scheduled sessions and mentor meetings if any arise.

• Yes, you will need to be enrolled for both Fall and Spring.
• We understand that enrollment for Spring opens in October.

The term “Latinx” emerged in recent years as an inclusive term for descendants of Latin American immigrants in the United States who hold a non-binary gender identity (i.e. they do not hold a fixed gender identity of “man” or “woman,” and may hold multiple gender identities or none at all).

As a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), the GANAS program is part of the college's effort to intentionally serve Hispanic/Latinx students. In order to combat persistent gaps in equitable outcomes in education and eliminate structural inequities in the workplace affecting Hispanic and Latinx/a/o communities. GANAS aims to connect Latinx students with mentors, colleagues and other professionals who can speak to various lived experiences of navigating leadership spaces where Latinxs are still emerging.

The GANAS team chose the colibrí (hummingbird) as the symbol of the program because it embodies many elements of our students' identities, stories, and resilience. Native to the Americas, the colibrí's unique combination of delicate size, colorful markings, lightning speed, tenacity, and the ability to gracefully fly in any direction have made it a significant figure in various indigenous religions and folklore. Whether the god of war and sun, a peacekeeper, a healer, or a tireless messenger between worlds, the colibrí has enduring cultural symbolism. Further, the colibrí's annual migrations across North and Central America call to mind our own family migration stories, and our ability to endure challenges despite how small we may seem against them. We believe all GANAS participants possess qualities of the colibrí that will enable them to be the resilient, nimble and just leaders.