Alianza brings Latinx alumni together to build sense of community

Most of the affinity groups at CWU are focused on current students, staff or faculty, but the group co-founded by Miriam Bocchetti is focused specifically on alumni.

The group has been called the Latinx Alumni Association for years and is currently in the process of changing its name to Alianza, which is Spanish for “Alliance.”

Bocchetti, who serves as the Director of Grants at CWU, says the group a core membership of eight to 10 individuals, and their events expand to include students and family members as well. Alianza hosts a table at the homecoming football game, where they seek to connect with alumni and potential members.

“We have tabled, we have met regularly, and we have created the mission and vision,” Bocchetti explains. “We have also held elections, but we did away with them because we don't want to have a hierarchy. Now we are thinking maybe we do need an executive board, but we haven’t decided on that yet.”

Alianza meetings usually involve talking to one another and laughing. The members also talk about what types of food and events they want to host for the campus community. Alianza also has done significant fundraising work.

“A few years back, we did salsa night, where we held salsa lessons and then we did a big fundraising gala,” Bocchetti says. “An alumni family helped to establish an endowment and helped fundraise at a gala, which I was in charge of coordinating. We all have a lot of fond memories of us working together toward a common goal, and just being recognized as one of the only — if not the only — alumni affinity group.”

Bocchetti also pointed to the Latinx welcome event the group hosts every year and their recurring and well attended Torta Thursday event, where students, staff, and faculty can have a casual time eating tortas and hanging out.

“We have done it all over,” she says. “We have done it at The Porch, we have done it at The Red Pickle, and we have done it at the Bistro. They made the tortas for us, and the first 50 students who registered got a free torta.”

Bocchetti and the other members have high hopes for Alianza as the group looks toward the future. That starts with getting the word out to new members.

“For us to evolve, become bigger, become more visible, become known, become a household name and to grow our membership, we need to engage our alumni early and more often,” she says, emphasizing the integral nature of affinity groups.

She and other Alianza members have benefited from depth of connection they offer, and she looks forward to sharing those experiences with other members of the CWU community.

“We hope that these groups facilitate belonging, acceptance, camaraderie,” Bocchetti says. “In a smaller town — isolated communities in some regards — a lot of people come here and don't realize there isn’t a community of people who are like them. I have heard that from a lot of people, mostly Black staff and faculty. We all really just want to support each other, but we also challenge each other.”

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Editor's note: Katherine Camarata was the University Relations student writer for winter and spring 2024.