“Cada estudiante es una persona única,” or (translated) “every student is a unique person,” said student Akianys Torres ’26 in the newest commercial for Eastern Connecticut State University. The advertisement premiered during Super Bowl LVIII on Feb. 11. It is entirely in Spanish, making the ad the first of its kind from Eastern. Three more ads will be airing over the next few months. 

Encouraging other Spanish-speakers to join the Eastern community, current students participated in the commercial, giving accounts of their personal Eastern experiences. Among them was political science and philosophy double major Katherine Escalante ’25.  

“Putting an ad out in Spanish is a fantastic way to let future students hear from (current) students with similar backgrounds as them,” she said, “as well as to hear about the ways students like them have benefited from Eastern’s support.”  

Eastern offers several services for English second-language learners, including a conversation group open for all who would like to connect with peer tutors and improve their English language skills. Additionally, tutors in the University’s Writing Center are trained with the skills necessary to help English second-language students improve their written communication.  

Escalante said, “I think this is a place where you can find the resources and the people you will need in paving your road to success.” 

In the new advertisement, Eastern welcomes Spanish-speaking students, people who have historically been disadvantaged in academia. Currently, 18% of Connecticut’s population is Hispanic and Latino, according to the U.S. Census.   

Escalante said, “Hispanic communities have one of the lowest rates of enrollment in undergraduate institutions. I think it is so important for prospective students to see people like them in higher education spaces.” Across the United States, the enrollment of Hispanic students in colleges and universities has more than doubled over the past 20 years, according to the Pew Research Center. 

The students appearing in the first ad got to work closely with the crew of Univision, which recorded the commercial. Of the experience, Escalante said, “It was really cool to be able to be interviewed in my native language on such an iconic channel like Univision. Univision holds such a cultural significance for a lot of Spanish-speaking households.”