Oct. 22, 2024-- On Oct. 10, the Hispanic Heritage Clubs of all three high schools embarked on their biggest journey yet: two simultaneous dance performances at the NBA headquarters in Secaucus and Manhattan.
One of the core missions of the Hispanic Heritage Club, particularly over the past two years, has been to uplift the Hispanic community of Toms River and provide greater points of access for students and families. One such method included leveraging the talents of students studying dance, and providing showcases for them to demonstrate their abilities and culture.
It was through those efforts within the community that the attention of National Basketball Association representative Joe Lopez was piqued. Lopez reached out to High School South’s Hispanic Heritage Club advisor Gabriel Rodriguez to collaborate on hosting several student dance performances at NBA headquarters as part of the league’s various workshops for Hispanic Heritage Month and the CONEXIÓN ÉNE-BÉ-A team.
“It’s not often that students get the chance to perform in the offices of a multi-billion dollar company, get a tour of said offices, and interview those workers,” said Rodriguez. “It was a tremendous opportunity to expand the minds and visions of our students, and open them up to the world of possibilities that were available to them.”
After many hours of practice and preparation, Hispanic Heritage Club students from East, North, and South boarded one bus together and departed for NBA headquarters.