SPRING

CLASSES:

LSJ 490: International Human Rights Advocacy
JSIS 495: Task Force
LSJ 490: Disability and Aging
JSIS 499: Undergrad research

EXTRACURRICULARS:

Research Assistant
Lead Task Force Editor

Task Force Writing

My coursework in Rome included two LSJ seminars and my JSIS task force, the capstone requirement for the International Studies major. My task force was titled “A City for All” and was led by Dr. Stephen Meyers. Our report aimed to analyze Roman urban barriers to inclusion for older persons and persons with disabilities. Essentially, we conducted a comprehensive literature and on the ground analysis in six key Roman sectors to identify barriers, and then formulate tangible policy recommendations that could act as a framework for future urban policymakers. Our report ended up being over 300 pages long, of which I authored the introduction, executive summary, conclusion, and co-authored two chapters. My experience as lead editor on the Task Force taught me so much about meaningful collaboration, working against timelines, and working with a range of skill levels and personality types. I won’t sugar coat it, it was HARD. And I felt myself being pushed into a version of myself that I hated, I felt like a control freak, and I could feel at times that I was failing my team members. If I could go back in time I would be more patient, and work to not let my own overachiever anxieties project onto other people. All in all though, I am deeply proud of what my group was able to accomplish, and the difficulties of Task Force shaped how I now conceptualize strong leadership.

Task Force Presentation

Our report culminated in a presentation to the Secretary of the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. A theme that (I hope) has become clear by now is that, even though I have been in several roles that require public speaking, it will never stop being anxiety inducing for me. Honestly, if you had made me pick between writing another 300 page report or presenting in front of the entire program and a UN official, I would have skipped the latter. The bright side is that my anxiety about presentations forces me to prepare EXTENSIVELY, so I ended up giving a performance I was deeply proud of. In the attached photo you can see Secretary Jorge Araya grilling myself and my coauthors. Meeting and getting gelato with Secretary Jorge Araya was an incredible experience, and given that he is a former lawyer I found it interesting to talk with him about his own career path. I was relieved when our talk was done, and could finally appreciate how all of our hard work had led up to that moment.

Who cares? I'm in ROME!

My Roman quarter. It would be trite to attempt to convey how amazing this quarter was. It's not everyday you are living in Rome for a conclave. I was living in an apartment on Campo Dei Fiore, taking trains to different parts of Italy on the weekend, and walking along the Tiber when academics would get overwhelming. I knew in the moment that I would be nostalgic about this time period for the rest of my life, and when I look back on it now it still feels like a dream. Yes, I was in Rome to do my Task Force. However, even when that project ate away hours of every day, I still made sure to take advantage of the fact that I was in ROME. On our lunch break from class, my friend Sejal and I developed a daily routine of making a sandwich in our apartment, and then sitting in a Piazza and yapping for an hour.

On weekends we traveled, and so I was able to hop around Italy, Croatia, Ireland, etc. and see some very incredible sights. I took Italian lessons while in Rome, and was surprised by how much my knowledge of Spanish was able to translate into learning Italian. Rome was the complete opposite of my time in Peru, but I truly would do study abroad over again and again if I could.

Travel

When the program wrapped up, my family came out to Rome! I spent a couple of days showing them around the city and feeling confident in my role as a tour guide, and I realized then just how well I knew the city I had been living in for months at that point. We then embarked on a roadtrip to England. Huge shoutout to my dad, he's racked up a lot of driving time throughout my portfolio. From Rome we journeyed up through Italy, then to Switzerland, Belgium, and France. It was a very different experience seeing Italy through my family's eyes. This photo is one I took on their first day in Rome, when I took them to the apartment I had moved out of the day prior. It felt so weird to see them next to this building I had been living in for the past couple of months, like my worlds were combining.