My family away from my family
At Mount Holyoke I found access to professors and mentors who helped me navigate the intersections in my identity within the unfamiliar realm of higher education.
Campus involvement: President of the Mount Holyoke Model United Nations team, senior community advisor of Creighton Hall, Posse Foundation Scholar
Proudest accomplishment at Mount Holyoke: Full-time student teaching this semester in the South Hadley public schools.
A place or experience you will miss at Mount Holyoke: I will mostly miss my Posse, I would not be where I am today without them holding me accountable to my best self.
How a close connection with a faculty member has shaped you: Sarah Frenette, the director of early childhood and elementary teacher licensure, has supported and challenged me in ways that have been instrumental to my future career in youth advocacy. She never for a moment doubted my big dreams for our next generation. I showed up with a plan; she added to it. We carried it out. Sarah, I am forever indebted to you for all of the knowledge, love and Kleenex you have shared in your office.
Course that surprised you, or that you thought you might not like: I took Elementary Italian my first year for my language requirement. Little did I know that these faculty members would become my family away from my family. They have helped me gain employment and a newfound appreciation for languages beyond my native Spanish — plus a few pounds from our many dessert-laden celebrations. That first class was taught by with Morena Svaldi and a few years later, I found myself in several 300-level Italian courses with Martino Lovato and Ombretta Frau.
Best takeaway from internship or research experiences: Last summer I was selected to be a part of the Trials program, a partnership between New York University School of Law and Harvard Law School. The mission is to recruit students from underrepresented backgrounds into the legal field. Only 20 students are selected each year, out of an applicant pool of 2,000. We became family. Coming into college I always knew I wanted to go to law school and be an activator in the changes that need to occur in the best interest of tomorrow’s youth. The Trials program provided me with the opportunities and support systems necessary to secure a spot at a top law school in order to have the best guidance possible to be able to accomplish my goals.
How Mount Holyoke has shaped your global outlook: As a first-generation daughter of Argentinean immigrants, I know that I brought a lot to the classroom with my experiences in Title 1 public schools. At Mount Holyoke I found access to professors and mentors who helped me navigate the intersections in my identity within the unfamiliar realm of higher education. I also met others from completely different parts of the world who were experiencing similar hardships.
Favorite Five College experience: Hopping on the PVTA to get a fun slice of pizza from Antonio’s in Amherst on a Friday night.
Future plans: I am committed to the Harvard Law School class of 2022. Go Crimson!