Monthly Hispanic Celebration Comes to Life Through Alumna’s Personal Story

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month is a time of pride for Nova Southeastern University – the largest private university in the U.S. that meets the U.S. Department of Education criteria as a Hispanic-serving institution. It’s also a time of reflection for NSU alumna Amanda Conde, a first-generation American.

“This month is a celebration of who I am and where I come from,” said Conde, a graduate of the H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship. “It holds special meaning, symbolizing my culture and the resilience it has instilled in me.”

To mark the month, NSU’s Belonging, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Council is promoting several Hispanic-themed events featuring music, dance, food, and guest lectures being offered across the university community. Among them:

• Sept. 1-Oct. 20: “Figuration in Latino American Art” exhibit at Sherman Library
• Sept. 30:  The Future of Spanglish – A roundtable presentation and discussion
• Oct. 10: Marinera Forever – Peruvian Dance and Cultural Fest at Sherman Library

Calling herself a “tri-citizen” born in Cuba, moving to Spain during her early childhood, then coming to the United States, Amanda sees this month as a time to reflect on the importance of her family and their support.

“Being an immigrant family, we never had a lot, but my parents made sure to give me everything they had and more,” Amanda said. “They worked extremely hard to guarantee we had a home, food, clothes, and a good education.”

That same work ethic was instilled in Amanda, who put herself through NSU with the help of scholarships and a full-time job. She earned her finance degree in 2023, her MBA in 2024, and was recently offered a job at Morgan Stanley.

“My parents told me to always give 100% in anything I did because no one else would do it for me,” she said. “I was able to get this done because of them.”