When Sam Palacios, a junior majoring in Health Studies, came to Boise State, they hoped to find a community of other Filipino students to connect with. When they realized there was no official group for Filipino students, they decided to start it themself.
In January, Palacios started the Bayanihan Club, a group for students interested in connecting with the culture of the Philippines.
“When I first came here as a freshman, my aunt was really nervous for me, she was like, ‘You’re not gonna find anyone that looks like you,’” Palacios said. “So being able to start a club and letting the rest of Boise State know that there is a community they can be a part of, whether they’re Filipino or not — that’s a really great thing to have on campus.”
As Palacios worked towards launching Bayanihan Club, they invited some of their friends to help get the ball rolling. Malia Labenia, a sophomore studying Health Studies, said she first bonded with Palacios when they worked together in her freshman year dorm building.
“We found out both of us actually come from a Filipino household, which was a fun coincidence,” Labenia said. “We bonded over shared experiences and what it was like to grow up being Filipino.”
Palacios first pitched the idea to Labenia and their other friends to start a club where more students could make those kinds of connections.
“[Palacios thought] it would be cool to create a space where we’d be able to bond with people and get to learn about the culture,” said Labenia, who now serves as the Events and Fundraising officer for the club.
Talli White, a junior majoring in Visual Arts, also helped start the club, taking on the role of Social Media, Marketing and Promotions officer. White does not have a Filipino background, but said she loves experiencing Filipino culture with her partner, Palacios.
“I love how welcoming the Filipino community is, and [how they’ve welcomed me] by including me in the club,” White said. “It feels very special to be a part of [Bayanihan Club], because it’s something new that we’re all passionate about.”
With Palacios as Club President, the three officers got the club officially approved through the university. They started an Instagram page, created a logo and chose a name for the new group. They chose the name “Bayanihan”, representing the spirit of community and cooperation among Filipinos.
The group made its first public appearance at the spring 2026 Involvement Fair, where the officers sat at a table and explained the club’s purpose to attendees.
“Every person who came to our table was so excited about it,” Labenia said. “It was really nice to see that we were already starting to make our way into the club community.”
Palacios said one attendee came to the Involvement Fair from Twin Falls, Idaho, specifically to see the Bayanihan Club. That visitor, who is originally from the Philippines and is planning to attend Boise State, felt homesick and was excited to meet other Filipino students.
“That was a really cool experience for someone to tell me they were happy to see [our club] because it reminded them of home,” Palacios said.
The officers plan to host gatherings for students to learn and explore aspects of Filipino culture like food, music, films, traditions and more.
“The biggest connection we always have is food,” Palacios said. “The number one thing we always talk about is, ‘Oh, I miss this [food]. I miss that [food],’ because we don’t have a lot of Filipino restaurants in Idaho.”
They also hope to create opportunities for students to explore the Tagalog language. Palacios hopes that by growing the Filipino community’s presence on campus, they may even influence the university to add Tagalog to their world language courses.
“Bringing in and exposing people to other languages that aren’t as widely spoken, but are still common [like Tagalog] would be very cool,” Palacios said.
Palacios and the other officers have larger, longer-term goals for the club. In October, they hope to host large celebrations on campus for Filipino Heritage Month in partnership with the Filipino Association of Idaho. They also hope to host large Christmas gatherings with Filipino traditions to celebrate the holiday.
All three officers emphasized that the club is open to all, whether or not they grew up in a Filipino household.
“Whether you’ve grown up in it or you just want to explore, no one’s ever going to turn you away,” Palacios said.
For Palacios, the most important thing is creating a community for anyone to enjoy and learn more about Filipino culture. Whether that’s through practicing Tagalog or just coming to try some traditional Filipino foods, the top priority is creating a safe space for students to connect through culture and curiosity.
“We’re one of those cultures that you can’t really put in a box,” Palacios said.
Students can stay up-to-date on future activities by following the club on Instagram @bsu_bayanihanclub.
