Travel is a stroke of luck. I am fortunate enough to have been born in the United States. Travel is a privileged act. I am fortunate to have a passport that affords me the ability to apply for visas. Travel is also an expensive act. I am fortunate to have secured financial means for plane tickets. Travel is also a selfish act, particularly environmentally. I intend to lower my carbon footprint while in London. I am most excited to take advantage of public transportation while in London, and cycling, thanks to its biker friendly city design.
As an Economics student at Smith College with a deep-rooted passion for social change, I am passionate about the intersection of economics, statistics, and policy. I want to tackle the disparities that marginalized communities in the United States face and dismantle systemic inequalities. This is especially important to me as a low-income first-generation Latina woman.
As an American, I consider our diversity the most important characteristic. Our blend of cultures, religions, and identities is one of our biggest strengths. Often described as the “Land of Opportunity”, for many people with backgrounds similar to mine, the US has barriers and inequalities. There are injustices in America despite our promise to uphold these values. I aim to work to achieve the American ideals on which this country was founded: democracy, justice, and equality, by working in public policy.
By working to achieve these ideals, I hope to overall promote the UN Sustainable Development Goals. In London, where I have my international placement, I also hope to promote these goals and ideals. London is also characterized by its diversity and exceptional importance to the global world, as a center of cultural exchange, and a complicated history of colonization, like the United States.
Actively promoting the UN’s goals while abroad means engaging in cultural exchange while building the skills necessary to work to improve the world for everyone, of every background. At LSE, I intend to join LSE’s Latin American Society and Mexican Society, where I hope to share my perspective and lived experience as a Mexican-American and learn from the perspectives of other Latinos from around the world. I also hope to engage in LSE’s Catholic Society and compare my relationship to my faith with other people outside of the US. In joining these societies, I plan to build cross-cultural relationships and continue to develop an international network.
My hope is that other underrepresented people who have similar identities to mine—Hispanic, first-generation, low-income, and queer feel empowered to study abroad. This is especially important to me as I am motivated to make social change in the US to address systemic inequalities—which align with the UN SDGs. I hope to collaborate with LASO, Smith’s Latin American Student Organization, to achieve this goal. I aim to highlight my unique experience as a Hispanic, first-generation, queer woman at a Historically Women’s College in Massachusetts, in the UK attending the London School of Economics.
