The National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society, Sigma Delta Pi, recognizes students who excel in the study of the Spanish language, literature and cultures—and who foster understanding, appreciation and respect for the Spanish-speaking world. Its motto, Spanías Didagéi Proágomen, means “to continue under the inspiration of the Spanish language.”

Eighteen students were inducted into Elon’s Rho Eta chapter during a ceremony on Wednesday, Nov. 5, at 5:30 p.m. in Lakeside (2nd floor). The event was a team effort planned and organized by Assistant Teaching Professor Ricardo Mendoza, Program Assistant Annetta Womble (World Languages and Cultures & Interdisciplinary Programs), WLC student assistants, WLC faculty and students, and community collaborators Raquel Johanna Giraldo and Helen McLeod.

The ceremony was led by Ricardo Mendoza, assistant �þ��� professor and president of the Rho Eta chapter, and presided over by Elon students Stephanie Mirsky and Izzy Greenstein. Alumna MacKenzie Martinez ’21 offered words of encouragement, sharing how Spanish has shaped her professional path in border-region advocacy. Martinez, a proud Jewish Chicana from Richmond, Virginia, double-majored in Spanish and Anthropology with minors in Gender Studies and Latin American Studies. She has served with Al Otro Lado and the International Rescue Committee and is currently Advancement Manager at Alliance San Diego.

The program featured live music by Raquel Johanna Giraldo (Colombia). Parents, relatives and friends joined the celebration via Zoom. WLC faculty Ketevan Kupatadze, April Post, Nina Namaste, Mayte de Lama, Bethanny Sudibyo, Pablo Celis-Castillo, Federico Pous and Ricardo Mendoza participated and shared remarks with the inductees.

Congratulations to the Fall 2025 inductees:
Faith Almond, Sofie Cate Suzanne Crabbe, Lindsey Grace Dwyer, Miranda Justine Fitch, Jinelle Alexa Gonzalez, Olivia Christine Guarino, Erin Elena Howard, Natalie Hudson, Ella Kathryn Kinman, John Cooper Carlos Ludlow, Archibald Meskhidze, Logan Marlene Miller, Samuel Potter Montgomery, Molly Moylan, Allison Orozco Rosaldo, Annabelle Kay Richardson, Logan McAdam Scott and Amelia Summers.

Eligibility: To join Sigma Delta Pi, students must complete three years of college-level Spanish (18 semester hours) or the equivalent, including at least three credit hours at the junior level in Hispanic literature or Hispanic culture/civilization.

Teaching Assistant Professors April Post and Ricardo Mendoza, from the Department of World Languages and Cultures, have organized and created this meaningful altar since 2014, transforming Carlton Commons into a sacred and educational space where students, faculty, and staff can reflect on the lives of loved ones who have passed.

The altar, or ofrenda, is adorned with photographs, candles, marigolds (cempasúchil), food offerings, papel picado and personal mementos — all elements deeply rooted in Mexican tradition. This annual initiative invites the university community to celebrate not death, but life itself, a time to remember those who came before us and to acknowledge the universal human connection between memory and identity.

“The Day of the Dead reminds us that love transcends time and distance,” said Post. “It is a celebration of the enduring presence of those who shaped who we are.”

“We hope this experience fosters empathy, curiosity and cultural awareness among our students while honoring one of the most profound and beautiful traditions in the Spanish-speaking world,” said Mendoza.

The success of this celebration has been made possible thanks to the dedication and collaboration of Annetta Womble, program assistant for World Languages & Cultures and Interdisciplinary Programs (IGS), as well as the invaluable support of the WLC Student Assistants, who helped design, assemble, and maintain the altar, and Professor Bethany Sudibyo and the Spanish Club at �þ���