JACKSON, Wyo. — A local high school club will be hosting a gathering on Saturday to celebrate the signing of the Sister City agreement between Jackson and Hueyotlipan in Tlaxcala, Mexico.

The Jackson Hole High School (JHHS) Tlaxcala Intercambio Club is throwing a community fiesta that will feature Mexican food, performances of a traditional Tlaxcalan dance, community speakers and music. The party will run from 5 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, April 25, at JHHS. The event is free and open to the public. Guests are welcome to bring food or beverages to share, or to make a monetary donation. Alcohol is not permitted. The Sister City agreement was signed in April 2024 with the municipality of Hueyotlipan, which is home to about 15,000 residents as of 2020.

For 11 years, the Tlaxcala Intercambio Club has created space for students to honor Jackson’s longstanding relationship with the communities in Tlaxcala, Mexico, the homeland of a large portion of Jackson’s Latino community. The group seeks to elevate Latino heritage in the school community and works to create opportunities for cross-cultural exchange and inclusivity of all students. The club’s motto is: “Unidos, somos una comunidad más fuerte. Together, we are a stronger community.”

Led by JHHS history teacher Jeff Brazil and a handful of other staffers, the Intercambio Club students are challenged to bring their own ideas to the table and take on leadership roles, creating an empowering experience, according to JHHS senior and Co-President Maddie Krasula. Fellow senior and club member Emily Tzompa told Buckrail that this celebration feels like part of a bigger goal the students are working toward.

“My favorite part of this club is not only being able to see how impactful we can be, but also how welcoming, and how one little, small movement can go and really be a huge hit,” Tzompa said. “Our celebration, I feel like it’s a big movement that we’ve had, because I think that we haven’t done this big of an event for this club. So it’s really heartwarming. And knowing that a lot of families might attend this and just be part of what they haven’t had for a long time back in Mexico.”

Image: TCSD
Image: TCSD

According to a press release from Teton County School District (TCSD), Jackson Mayor Arne Jorgensen and Town Councilor Alyson Spery will speak on behalf of the town’s commitment to the Sister City partnership. Hueyotlipan Mayor Sosténes E. Bedolla Espinoza is also expected to make an address via Zoom. The traditional Tlaxcalan Hue Hue dance will be performed by Jackson’s Camada Xipetzinco dance group, which has roots in San Simeón, Tlaxcala. Club members and leadership expressed gratitude for all of the volunteer time and donations that have gone into this event.

The Intercambio Club is viewed by members and staff as a way to share cultural traditions, not just a place for only students of Mexican heritage. JHHS senior Nairi Escobar thinks that getting a new perspective is a first step in creating a stronger community.

“You learn a lot from walking in someone’s shoes or seeing what their perspective on things is,” Escobar explained to Buckrail. “It also helps you better understand people, and it just helps make a community stronger because you kind of get to understand what everyone goes through, what everyone celebrates, and things like that. I think that’s really important.”

Monica is a Staff Reporter who studied journalism at Syracuse University and has been in the valley since 2015. She loves writing about the local food and bev scene, especially craft beer. When she’s not on the clock, you can find her paddle boarding, sewing, or whipping up a new recipe at home.