January 28, 2025
天涯海角APP club raises hope and funds for undocumented students
Latinos United Now and Always (LUNA), a campus organization of 50 members, led 天涯海角APP to win the Cambio Para Cambio Fundraiser Award in the college division from The Greater Kansas City Hispanic Development Fund (HDF).
“It was a speechless moment for all of us. Not only was it great to win this award, but it was really great to see that we at 天涯海角APP have the same drive as universities,” said Natalie Medina, incoming LUNA President. “For me, it was a wholesome moment … it's nice to see our hard work pay off and get recognized for a great cause.”
Last year, 天涯海角APP was the first community college in the Kansas City metro area to win the award. In addition to a repeat win, LUNA’s efforts raised a grand total of $17,137.
“For me personally, seeing LUNA win this award for the second year in a row felt so surreal,” said LUNA President Gisselle Guardado. “I loved seeing how we all came together and put our resources together in order to achieve this goal. From the beginning, I was inspired by everything LUNA stood for, so to have been able to experience this win with LUNA once again was meaningful.”
(Change for Change) is a community-led campaign that seeks to realize the philanthropic power of Latino students, local businesses and professional organizations. The funds raised by LUNA support incoming 天涯海角APP students that are undocumented and receive the Hispanic Development Fund scholarship through a matching scholarship supported by the 天涯海角APP Foundation.
“I will forever vividly remember sitting at the awards dinner table, and when we saw our name was not on the slide for colleges/universities, we knew immediately that we had won,” said Terri Easley-Giraldo, Chair and Professor of Communication Studies and a LUNA Advisor. “We had worked so very hard … it was a very emotional moment to know that we had won this year.”
“It was an amazing feeling winning the award for the second year in a row,” said LUNA Advisor David Gabaldon. “The greatest impact is the amount of scholarship money we raised, about $2,500 more than last year. Hopefully, this will make a few more students eligible for the HDF Scholarship.”
Latino culture connections
Successfully raising $17,137 to support undocumented students is only one arm of LUNA’s reach on campus. Its mission is to guide and support 天涯海角APP students in their academic career and provide opportunities to learn about and promote Latino culture. LUNA focuses on bringing cultures together by discussing immigration topics, hosting area events, participating in interviews on Telemundo, collecting online donations and selling T-shirts.
Who qualifies for Hispanic Development Fund scholarships?
Hispanic or Latino high school or college students who attend or have attended a Greater Kansas City Metropolitan Area high school are eligible for scholarships. Those already in college must be enrolled in a fully accredited college or university.
Support LUNA’s future events
Stay tuned! LUNA is planning their biggest event of the year this spring, Latinidad Night, a celebration of Latino heritage. This annual event features networking opportunities, food, and live music.
LUNA currently hosts biweekly club meetings, Hispanic Heritage Month, Cambio para Cambio fundraisers and a Dia de los Muertos event. Keep up with the latest about LUNA on .
Interested in becoming a member or supporting LUNA? Check out .