I would like to thank the following people, in no particular order, for their love, care, and support throughout the last four years.
- Professor Farha Ghannam: for being the best thesis advisor I could ask for, for guiding me through every existential crisis I had, for being gentle, caring, patient, and understanding, for talking some sense into me every time I wanted to change my entire project around, for teaching all of us to live into the bodies we inhabit in this world. Thank you.
- Professor Edwin Mayorga: for writing me more recommendation letters than I can count, for being an endless source of support, for teaching me life lessons I will take beyond the classroom, for listening to all of my rants, for the chisme, laughs, and good times, for always believing in each and every one of your students, even when we ourselves sometimes struggle to. Thank you.
- Professor Mike Wilson Becerril: for bringing your entire self into your teaching, for always being critical, reflective, and kind, for expanding the PEAC department to include the stories and places of those of us with Latin American roots, for your advice, candor, and friendship, for being so open to building genuine relationships in a completely new place, for being my Mellon Mentor. Thank you.
- Professor Osman Balkan: for welcoming us in a field that pushes so many of us out, for introducing me to migration as both an intellectual and healing pursuit, for your emphasis on listening to our voices and stories, for always believing in the things I am capable of, for your work in leading the Mellon program this year. Thank you.
- Professor Gwynn Kessler: for being one of my first mentors at Swarthmore, for always believing in me and everything that I am, for your unwavering support during S.UP, for showing me that religion can be more than the harm we often experience at the hands of those who practice it, for helping me heal old wounds, for being open to learning even as you yourself teach your own students. Thank you.
- Professor Jennifer Phuong: for reminding me to come back into my body, for being vulnerable and kind, for being such a great professor (so I’ve heard haha). Thank you.
- Professor Amy Kapit: for always being open and receptive to my thousand questions about PhD programs, life after Swarthmore, and all of the uncertainty I felt, for your warm advice, guidance, and support. Thank you.
- Professor Alejandra Azuero-Quijano: for teaching me that I am capable of world-making, for showing me the multiplicity that Anthropology can be. Thank you.
- Professor Salvador Rangel: for inviting me to think more critically about the implications of my political beliefs, for never being afraid to share everything that you are. Thank you.
- Professor Joshua Ellow: for beginning the work of getting more of us to slow down at Swarthmore, for your kindness, generosity, and care, for the good energy you brought into every class this semester, for being open to learning along with us. Thank you.
- Professor Nina Johnson: for the joy you encourage in all of us, for giving grace to all of us who were struggling to make it through remote learning and the shitshow that the pandemic was during Sophomore year. Thank you.
- Professor James Padilioni: for expanding what I thought healing could be, for having a fire syllabus that made me excited every time I got a campus bookstore email that a book was here, for the joy, laughter, and good vibes you bring into any space. Thank you.
- Professor Christy Schuetze: for inviting me to think more critically about what healing feels like in my own body. Thank you.
- Marge: for being the best EVS anyone could have asked for during that horrid year of remote learning, for your delicious cookies and pastries, for keeping all of us in Wharton CD 2nd sane that year, for the laughs and kindness. Thank you.
- Donny: for the smile you give all of us every time we go into the dining hall, for the kindness, love, and care you pour into your work, for all of the fist-bumps and laughs we’ve shared. Thank you.
- Katie Clark: for being one of the only people who kept me sane throughout my time as Vice President of SGO, for never being afraid to have honest conversations with me, for listening and understanding me even when I felt I was going crazy, for being the best SGO advisor anyone could ever ask for. Thank you.
- Cheryl Sharp, Stacey Hogge, and Mary Kassab: for being the best administrative assistants ever, for always humoring me in all of my endeavors (including ordering $700+ worth of thesis books jajaja), for your support, kindness, and generosity throughout my four years here. Thank you.
- Hanan Ahmed ’19 and Maggie Hussar: for being the best bosses ever, for making the IC a place that I enjoyed working at, for always listening and supporting me, for helping us build community at Swarthmore. Thank you.
- Giselle Vigil ’24, Yusra Ali ’24, and Jose Valdivia-Heredia ’23: for being my biggest source of support this year, for the laughs, tears, and moments of joy, for never being afraid to be everything that you are, for all of your hugs, for being with me in my grief and in my happiness, for loving me as you do, for the healing we have done together and the healing we have yet to do. Thank you.
- Carlee Marquez ’23, Lucia Navarro ’23, Alan Beltran ’23, and Wilber Dominguez ’22: for being the best group of Texicans I could ask for, for always reminding me of the places I come from. Thank you.
- Murtaza Ukani ’22, Gabriella Vetter ’22, Olivia Robbins ’22, and Tiffany Wang ’21: for everything that you taught that younger version of me, for your advice, care, and guidance, for showing me that our struggles are all connected, for believing in my own ability to organize, for your mentorship and love. Thank you.
- Jinia Meherin ’23 and Darlene Folas ’24: for your kindness and care, for always being open to having a conversation with me, for your honesty and vulnerability, for being amazing people. Thank you.
- Shelby Dolch ’21: for bearing individual harm to further collective healing, for your bravery, for your vulnerability, for all of the laughs, joy, and warmth you shared with me during my first two years at Swarthmore, for all of your brilliance. Thank you.
- Eduardo Burgos ’22, Elizabeth Garcia ’22, Evelyn Pineda ’22, Angela Reyes Cervantes ’22, Miryam Ramirez ’21, Edna Olvera ’21, and Jasmine Betancourt ’20: for being some of the first Latine people I met at Swarthmore, for welcoming me into your friend groups and showing me all the love, care, and affection I could have ever asked for, for guiding me and being the best upperclassmen friends to younger Ram, for loving me when I needed it the most. Thank you.
- Alyssa Aldape: for being the best chingona pastor ever, for being la tía del 956 out here on the East Coast, for showing me I had a home away from home, for your never-ending instagram reactions to all of my stories, for the laughs we shared in the public defender’s office all those years ago. Thank you.
- Sara Clemente, Gaven Green ’24, Fiorenza Herrera ’21, Karina Castillo, Yarethzia Ponce Gallegos, and Gabriela Hernandez: for being the best team at LULAC I could have ever asked for, for all of the laughs and headaches, for always supporting me, for being with me literally my entire undergraduate journey. Thank you.
- Zahara Martinez ’23: for all of the random hugs, for always putting a smile on my face the moment I see you, for all of the joy. Thank you.
- Alex Malcombe ’23: for being my first friend at Swarthmore, for having one of the biggest hearts in the world, for loving me always. Thank you.
- Cisco Velasco ’23: for doing such an amazing job leading ENLACE after I left the leadership board to focus on SGO. Thank you.
- Thandiwe McMillan ’20: for the laughs we shared in that Spanish class, for always sending me kind messages and support, for sharing your writing with me during my times of grief. Thank you.
- Kevin Murillo ’24: for not being afraid to be vulnerable, for our time in Crum, for the healing and love we’ve shared. Thank you.
- Brenda Feregrino ’25, Arianna Mosqueda ’25, Andrea Banuelos ’25, Eder Ruiz Sanchez ’25, Crystal Secaira ’25: for the pride I feel seeing the work you have done in your short time here, for continuing the struggle so many of us before you have gone through, for your dedication, passion, love, and care, for taking over after we leave. Thank you.
- Ms. Weaver and Ms. Villareal: for always, always believing in me during my younger years, for seeing the path I was meant to take even when I myself did not, for never doubting that I would achieve all of the things I dreamed of. Thank you.
- Sofia y Donovan: por el amor y cariño que nos extendieron a mi y a Jose en CDMX. Gracias.
- Kestrel Valdez ’23: for understanding me from the moment we met during orientation, for helping me see how connected we are to the world around us, for all of the laughs, tears, and hugs, for all of the trips in Crum Woods, for your friendship and love, for all of our late night conversations, for everything that you are, for everything that you’ve helped me become. Thank you.
- All of the Black, Indigenous, Brown, Queer, Disabled, Neurodivergent, First-Generation, Low-Income, DACAmented, Undocumented, and other marginalized people who have labored to make this and other institutions a better place: for your labor, for your struggle, for believing in something bigger than yourselves, for your vulnerability, for your care, for your love. Thank you.
- adrienne maree brown, Bettina Love, Ruth Wilson Gilmore, Alok Vaid-Menon, Tricia Hersey, Gloria Anzaldúa, Octavia Raheem, Angela Davis, Mariame Kaba, Sonya Renee Taylor, Kakali Bhattacharya: for all of your wisdom, guidance, and connection, for all of your writings, for helping me heal and slow down, for teaching me that being in my body is one of the most sacred things in this life, for helping me love myself in more ways than I can ever thank you for. Thank you.
- Younger Ram: for not giving up, for all of your prayers, for being brave enough to move 2,000 miles away from home, for being scared but always pushing through, for all of the sacrifices you had to make in order for me to be here today, for loving me even when most of the world around you did not. Thank you.
- Mis Ancestros: por soñarme hacia un mejor futuro, por las fronteras que tuvieron que cruzar, por las cosas que vivieron pero jamas pudieron platicar, por los lugares a los que fueron y los lugares a los que solamente soñaron ir, por los sacrificios que tuvieron que hacer durante todas sus vidas, por las heridas que lograron sanar y las heridas que quedaron abiertas, por quererme con todos sus seres. Gracias.
- Ma, Pa, Alain, Ale, y Sofi: por su amor incondicional, por el dolor que sentimos cada vez que entro al aeropuerto, por creer en mi aún cuando tenia miedo de mudarme tan lejos, por ser mis fans mas grandes. Gracias.
To all of those I didn’t mention but whose love, care, and support undoubtedly helped me get here: Thank you.