Jessica Hyman

I am a Senior International Studies major, Latin American studies minor, and SF native. I aim to use the interdisciplinary approach to international studies that I have learned over my almost four years at USF and it apply it to passions and issues I am concerned with, such as civil and human rights, and criminal justice system reform. I will be spending next semester, Spring 2019, in Washington, D.C. as a member of the University of San Francisco, USF in DC cohort that integrates a full-time internship with relevant coursework in our nation's capital. During this experience I hope to see policy and activism in action. Ultimately I hope to work in corporate social responsibility, but not before taking some time off to travel through Latin America and build my Spanish fluency and continue to grow my global framework. 

Sophie Barajas

I was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, and I am a Freshman. I am double majoring in Latin American Studies and Performing Arts and Social Justice with a concentration in Music. My future goals for my school career at USF is to learn how to use my passion for music and my Mexican culture to help with issues that the Latinx American community faces. I hope to study abroad in Latin America to broaden my education with diversity in music and deepen my experience with culture. I look forward to the rest of my educational journey here at USF to further my passions for music and Latin-American culture. 

Liz Quiñones Gil

I am a sophomore History and Latin American Studies double major as well as a Dual-Degree in Teacher Preparation Program participant. Being a low-income first-generation student from the border of San Diego/Tijuana, I found that having role models from a similar background pushed me to believe in myself throughout my years of education and I hope to become that same role model for others. It often seems like the odds are stacked against me because of my intersecting identities (being a woman of color, being queer, being low income, being first-generation, etc.) but I want to show others that it is possible to make it and to take risks even if you're not always certain of what the outcome will be. For this reason, I want to become a teacher along with my passion for history and teaching underrepresented stories that the United States often ignores. I am currently planning to go on an immersion trip to Bogotá, Colombia during the Spring of 2019 and have plans to study abroad in another Latin American country in the Spring of 2020. 

Katherine Frees

I am a senior English major with a minor in Spanish Studies. My passion for learning the Spanish language has always been brewing, but when one of my mentors at USF, David Menendez-Alvarez made the Spain summer program a possibility for me, I jumped at the opportunity. After professor Menendez-Alvarez told me about his wonderful adventures when he used to live in Spain and helped plan my weekend excursions, I knew I was set to have the best summer of my life. After learning Spanish there, I came back to the states with a passion for incorporating my love of Spanish into all aspects of my life. I traveled to multiple cities around Spain, and I even got to visit the island where my grandma was born, in the beautiful country of Portugal. Adapting to the intricate way Spanish is spoken in Spain was a challenge at first, but my courses at USF helped me rise to the challenge. I am excited that this journal is bilingual, and discusses issues that are important for students and the world. It is has been amazing learning how Spanish can be used to reach a wider audience of readers.