The Texas High Multicultural Club on May 11-13 traveled to Austin, TX, to tour the city. Club sponsor Alejandra Hernandez decided to take this trip for the benefit of the members and to expand their cultural roots.

“When I tell people I went to Mexico they imagine resorts, beaches, and tour destinations not knowing that I was in a little town and experiencing a different house everyday. I also remember going to Houston and other cities but never actually getting to experience the city,” said Hernandez. “I know that most of the kids in my club have experienced the same thing. I want them to go to a city and be a tourist, explore the city, and just to walk the streets and enjoy it, to do things that they would have never imagined doing on their own.”

Austin is known for its eclectic live-music scene centered around country, blues, rock, and other genres. There are many Mexic-Arte Museums in Austin and its purpose is to enrich and educate the community through art.

“The first thing that we did was visit the Mexic-Arte Museum,” said Hernandez. “It was really beautiful to visit the museum, just to see the traditional and contemporary Latin art and culture was absolutely breathtaking and memorable. We then visited the Baile Folklorico Champion Team from Austin High School and learned one of their dances. You could really feel the good energy in every place we went.”

For many of these club members, traveling is not a common thing. The Multicultural Club worked hard to raise the money for this trip by selling ‘aguas frescas’ and traditional snacks for it to become a reality.

“I want my kids to know that hard work does pay off and that it is okay to do things that they have never done before,” said Hernandez. “I want them to want to develop a sense of adventure and have a desire to explore the unknown, and not just for cities but in life in general. I want them to know that there is a whole world out there and that they should be a part of it, they should experience it.”

The Multicultural Club has immensely expanded because of the support that they have gained from the student body. The club is made for students to feel proud of their cultures and to immerse themselves in the community.

“I just want to thank the teachers, administrators and all the students that have helped us raise the money to take this trip,” said Hernandez. “My kids work very hard and take so much pride in making the products for our fundraisers. The ‘Aguas Frescas’ fundraiser is the most popular one. It has expanded over the last three years. A huge thank you to everyone that buy our products. Without them, we cannot take a trip like the one we took to Austin.”