To recognize and celebrate Hispanic Heritage month, the WAHS Library hosted two speakers during Warrior Periods. The second speaker, on October 9th, was John Ornelas, co-owner and operator of the Guadalajara restaurants in Charlottesville. Ornelas spoke to students about his background growing up in California and then moving to Roanoke, Virginia, and how learning in schools with Spanish as his primary language affected his education. After cycling through various jobs in his adulthood, Ornelas turned back to his family’s restaurants, becoming a co-owner of Guadalajara. As he began to gain more ownership, Ornelas partnered with River Hawkins, and together they are working on opening a new restaurant styled after their home-state of California. He says they do not highlight holidays such as Cinco De Mayo because he wants to look at holidays that aren’t as widely known or celebrated. Ornelas spoke about how he is always looking at the next step, and stressed the importance of always moving forward, saying that you “can’t stop just because you’re there.”
