Figuring out the college process may seem daunting to some, but it is even harder without a parent’s guidance. The City High United Latina Association (CHULA) was created to prepare latina girls, many of whose parents did not go to college, to navigate the American college system.

“We have these speakers and college students come in [to talk to us],” Jancy Solano ‘21 said. “They really help us and they’re really honest with us. They don’t sugarcoat things. They tell us ‘you’re going to struggle, but you just have to keep hanging on.’”

Both of Solano’s parents graduated from high school, but neither of them went to college. As Solano wants to become an imigration lawyer, she has to go through both college and law school. 

“It’s just nice to hear [about what I can do] because I can’t really go to anyone in my family to ask for help for college,” Solano said.

Solano joined the club at the beginning of her sophomore year and through her involvement, has become one of the leaders of this club.

“I am not the leader that takes control of everything, but I like being involved,” Solano said. “I like the club, I really feel like it’s something that a lot of students, especially in the Latinx community, could use at City High.”

CHULA meets Mondays after school in room 1113, with around eight to ten students at each meeting. One group activity that the club members do is called thorns and roses. This is where all the girls go around and say one good thing and one bad thing about their weekend. 

“It lets us know how we’re doing and what [we are] struggling with,” Kelsey Hernandez ‘21 said. “We just all relate to it.” 

In addition to having various speakers, the club also goes on field trips. One of the main ones is the Latinx Youth Summit at the Iowa Memorial Union on October 17, where over 300 high school students from around the state come to the conference for “Strengthening and Valuing Latinx Communities in Iowa.”

“We’re hoping that we can expand more so we can get more people in it, get more speakers, and get more involved in the community,” Hernandez said.

Hernandez said that going to this club has been a lot of fun and has also helped her express herself. Solano also noticed the relaxed atmosphere at CHULA.

“I mean, we’re all smiling and having a good time,” Solano said. “We never leave people out of conversations, it’s a whole group.”