SomosVU

What is SomosVU?

The SomosVU Identity Initiative convenes community members and campus partners to develop resources and support, and assists Vanderbilt’s Latinx community with their educational, professional, and personal pursuits.

The efforts of SomosVU strive to:

Call the community into conversation and emphasizes the values of connection, inclusion, and celebration.
Address the need for the visibility of Latinx presence, influence, and representation on campus while honoring the accomplishments of Latinx leaders and groups.
Encourage faculty-student mentor relationships, as well as solidarity among allies, to create opportunities to celebrate and elevate their Latinx peers.
And charge all of us to build an inclusive Latinx community at Vanderbilt University.

Vanderbilt University is committed to addressing institutional and societal issues that affect Latinx people. EDI engages in collaborative efforts with and for Latinx undergraduate, graduate, and professional students, post-doctoral scholars, and faculty at Vanderbilt. Through programming opportunities to connect with alumni and potential mentors, participate in salient community discussions, and amplify the achievements of Vanderbilt’s Latinx community, EDI aims to increase the sense of belonging and community.

Our History

Out of the spirit of connecting and strengthening Vanderbilt’s Latinx people came a rallying call and reminder for the greater campus community: SomosVU, “we are Vanderbilt.” In 2019, the Assistant Director of the Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latinx Studies, Dr. Gretchen Selcke, partnered with various Latinx community members at Vanderbilt to reignite Latinx people and efforts across campus. The impact and investment from departments and student organizations like the Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latinx Studies, the Student Center for Social Justice and Identity, and the Association of Latin American Students resulted in the creation of the SomosVU Identity Initiative.