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Imagine learning to ride a horse at just 5 years old, running through rows of coffee plants under the warm Colombian sun. The rich scent of roasted beans fills the air as family gathers for meals that turn into celebrations.

These early moments on her family’s coffee farm became the foundation of Camila Montoya Posada’s ’27 most cherished memories, and the roots of her deep love for family and community.

“Coffee is a really big part of Colombian culture. It’s our biggest export,” she said. “Anytime I drink coffee, I think, maybe these beans came from our farm. It brings back all those memories of family and community.”

Born in Colombia and raised in Pittsburgh, Montoya Posada has always carried her roots with her. Her heritage isn’t just part of who she is – it drives her purpose. As she reflects on her journey, she believes that fostering connections across backgrounds, identities and experiences is both her calling and her legacy.

Staying connected to her roots

When Montoya Posada’s family moved to Pittsburgh from Colombia, her mother made a firm decision that Spanish would remain the primary language of their household. This choice enabled the family to remain deeply connected to their heritage.

“She never let us forget where we were from,” Montoya Posada said. “She didn’t want us to lose our Spanish.”

Her ties to Colombia remained strong into adulthood. Each December, she returns to her family’s farm for Christmas, where generations of relatives fill the house with music, dancing and laughter.

“We have 17 cousins, and we do everything together,” she said. “It’s one of my favorite times of the year. It reminds me that family and community are everything.” Those gatherings taught her that connection isn’t just something you find, it’s something that is created and nurtured.

This spirit of connection now guides her ������Ƶ experience. Last spring, Montoya Posada had the chance to share her culture firsthand by bringing a group of ������Ƶ friends to Colombia to meet her family and experience life on the coffee farm.

“They absolutely fell in love with it,” she said. “It made me so happy to see them appreciate my culture and my country as much as I do.”

Building bridges at ������Ƶ

As the lead student coordinator for the Center for Race, Ethnicity and Diversity Education’s (CREDE) El Centro, Montoya Posada helps organize over 15 cultural events each semester, ranging from cooking workshops to Café con Leche conversations.

“Being in this role has helped me learn so much about myself,” she said. “It’s given me the space to talk about my identity and to grow as a leader.”

Though at first, Montoya Posada felt that she was the “odd one out” in her classes, she quickly learned to see her differences as a strength.

“If people already think I’m different, I might as well show them why,” she said. “Not just because of the way I look, but because of what I bring to the table. It gives me something to talk about immediately and an easy way to connect with others.”

Leaning into her differences, she was able to create a family here at ������Ƶ and find belonging in unexpected places, including her sorority, Alpha Xi Delta.

“I wasn’t sure I wanted to rush at first,” she said. “It’s not really part of our culture in Colombia. But once I joined, I found people who understood and supported me. It became another kind of family.”

Finding community in one space inspired her to strengthen it in another. Within ������Ƶ’s Latinx community, Montoya Posada works to bridge divides between students born in the U.S. and those from abroad.

“I’ve always heard people talk about this divide, but I don’t feel it personally,” she said. “To me, we’re one big community. We have each other’s backs.”

Celebrating connection and community

The theme of connection runs through every part of Montoya Posada’s story, including her perspective on Hispanic Heritage Month, which she views as a celebration of community and belonging.

“To me, it’s about community building and being celebrated for all the things this amazing community does,” she said.

Among her favorite events are the Kickoff Festival, Café con Leche gatherings, and the new Vamos a la Cocina cooking workshops — all centered around food, a cornerstone of Hispanic and Latinx culture.

“Food is a great way to bring people together,” she said. “Everyone loves to eat. It’s a fun, authentic way to share who we are.”

From Montoya Posada’s perspective, these celebrations do more than highlight tradition; they help students feel seen and valued.

“It’s about visibility,” she said. “It’s about creating spaces where we can celebrate who we are and invite others to learn with us.”

A global vision rooted in connection

As Montoya Posada looks to the future, her vision for connection continues to grow broader. Fluent in Spanish, French, and German, she plans to pursue a career in international or global communications.

“I grew up very internationally and very appreciative of different cultures,” she said. “I want to connect people across the world. To communicate and bridge cultures through campaigns and storytelling.”

Her goal is to return to Colombia one day and apply what she’s learned at ������Ƶ to global brand communication. “Ideally, I’d love to live there again full time,” she said. “My heritage has shaped the way I see the world. It’s taught me that communication, real connection, is universal.”

Connection and bridge-building are at the heart of what Montoya Posada hopes to leave behind at ������Ƶ. “I want to be remembered as a bridge,” she said. “[As] someone who helped people from different identities and cultures connect with each other.”

Reflections from her childhood and experiences at ������Ƶ encompass the greatest lesson she has learned: that connection is both her heritage and her purpose.

“It’s all about bringing people together,” she said. “When we connect, we understand each other better. That’s how community grows.”

������Ƶ honors Hispanic Heritage Month

As part of Hispanic Heritage Month, ������Ƶ is sharing stories that celebrate the contributions, identities and experiences of students, faculty and staff. This month recognizes the rich histories and cultures of Hispanic and Latinx communities, while also honoring the ways these traditions connect with and inspire people of all backgrounds. This month provides a special opportunity to honor Hispanic and Latinx heritage, but it also serves as an invitation for all members of the university to engage, learn and celebrate together.