Celebrating our 2021 Minors and Graduates

Now that you have successfully navigated an extraordinary year, we want to wish you the best and join you in celebrating this significant life transition. We know that your recent life experiences have not vanquished you: on the contrary, they have proven your mettle. For that, you are to be commended. We also hope that we have played a role in your lives and helped prepare you for your encounter with a still uncertain, but more optimistic world, the better for having shouldered these times with fortitude. We hope that we have imbued in you a passion for learning, tolerance, intellectual curiosity, communalism, and joy for simply being alive. We know that our lives have been enriched in our interactions with you and hope that we have enhanced yours.

As is customarily declared at commencement ceremonies, welcome to the Latinx Studies community of scholars. Remember to live out your life with the expectation that your best days will always be ahead of you and keep in touch with us as you move forward into exciting futures.

Vilma Santiago-Irizarry, Director
Marti Dense, Program Administrator
Zucy Ortega, Events Coordinator/Program Assistant
Juliette Corazon, LSSO Advisor/Assistant Dean of Advising

Major, Minors, and Concentrations: Major in Government. Minor in Latina/o Studies.

Major, Minors, and Concentrations: Major in Urban & Regional Studies. Minors in Latina/o Studies, Environment and Sustainability. 
Honors and Acknowledgements: American Planning Association National Student Project Award (2020).
Short and Long Term Post-graduation/Career plans: I plan to work as an assistant project manager for a real estate development company after graduation. Long-term I hope to become an affordable housing developer. 
What has the LSP minor meant to you? The LSP minor helped me realize that Latin@s are not a homogeneous group. It allowed me to contextualize the experiences of my peers as well as my own. It also served as a gateway to connect to professors that not only looked like me but related to my experience in academia. 
What do you expect to remember best from your Cornell experience? A wide array of things, but in terms of LSP, I will always remember the last day of "Latinos in the US" when Professor Velez began to cry because he said that it was one of the last times he would be teaching the course.

Major, Minors, and Concentrations: Major in Literatures in English. Minors in Latinx Studies and Animal Science. Concentrations: Post-Modern Black and Latinx Literature.

Honors and Acknowledgements: Meinig Scholar.
Short and Long Term Post-graduation/Career plans: I will be moving to Chicago to work full-time. After several years off, I hope to attend graduate school to obtain a JD/Ph.D.

What has the LSP minor meant to you?  The faculty, staff, and other students in LSP became my family at Cornell. LSP has always been a space I can rely on for unconditional support and guidance. It also helped me focus my passions academically within my major.
What do you expect to remember best from your Cornell experience? Pulling all-nighters in the LLC Main Lounge with friends

Major, Minors, and Concentrations: Majors in Spanish and Psychology. Minor in Latina/o Studies, Education, and English.
Honors and Acknowledgements: Cornell Engaged Leader, Meinig Scholars, Commencement Committee.
What has the LSP minor meant to you? The LSP Minor was a chance to learn more about the contributions of Latinos in the United States and have a connection to my culture at Cornell.

Major, Minors, and Concentrations: Major in Biology & Society. Minors in Latina/o Studies and Dyson Business for Life Science.
Short and Long Term Post-graduation/Career plans: My post graduation plan include attending medical school following a 2-year commitment to work in public health and clinical research focused on ethnic and racial disparities in healthcare.
What has the LSP minor meant to you? The LSP minor has had a deep and special meaning to me on an academic and personal level. Academically, I was challenged to explore and learn about the issues, history and richness of the Latino community as well as the differences that exist within it. On a personal level, I was encouraged to explore and learn more about my Cuban heritage and develop a newfound respect and appreciation for it.
What do you expect to remember best from your Cornell experience? I expect to remember and stay connected to the people I have met at Cornell. My mentors and peers have significantly impacted my Cornell experience and without them, I would not have had as an incredible four years as I did. In the LSP Department in particular, I have learned so much from Professor Maria Cristina Garcia. She has challenged the way I think critically as well as my approach to writing. I am very grateful for her and the interactions I have had with her. 

Major, Minors, and Concentrations: Major in Animal Science pre vet. Minors in Latina/o Studies, Caribbean Studies, and Africana.

Honors and Acknowledgements: President & Co-founder of the Caribbean Students’ Association, Meinig Family National Cornell Scholar, National Honor Society: Chi Alpha Epsilon, Pre Professional Program Scholar, Dance Captain & Vice President of the Cornell Caribbean Students’ Association, Hector Velez Leader for Change Award.
Short and Long Term Post-graduation/Career plans: I will be attending Long Island University College of Veterinary Medicine, studying to be an exotic animal veterinarian.
What has the LSP minor meant to you? The LSP minor has provided me with a space to learn more about Latine culture and history and it is a source of inspiration and reflection on how much work still needs to be done to uplift and recognize the Afrolatinidad in mainstream media and academics. LSP is an academic space that allows me to go beyond what I want to learn. It is a space for all people to learn about Latinidad.
What do you expect to remember best from your Cornell experience? The people I have met and the lessons of life I was taught with them.

Major, Minors, and Concentrations: Major in Government. Minors in Latina/o Studies, Africana Studies, and Spanish.
Honors and Acknowledgements:  Ruth Bierman Linnick '60 Memorial Travel Fund.
Short and Long Term Post-graduation/Career plans: Gap Year - studying for the LSAT and becoming an immigration lawyer.
What has the LSP minor meant to you? The LSP minor means learning about myself, my community, our history and present, and how to better advocate for all of us.
What do you expect to remember best from your Cornell experience? I expect to remember all of the friendships I have made, as well as all of the things I got to experience such as studying abroad and going to community events.

Major, Minors, and Concentrations: Major in Industrial Labor Relations. Minor in Latina/o Studies.
Short and Long Term Post-graduation/Career plans: Pursuing a Career in Management Consulting with hopes of entering entrepreneurial space in the near future.
What has the LSP minor meant to you? The LSP minor has allowed me to gain a better understanding of the true meaning of Latinidad, ranging from the struggles to the brilliance behind various different cultures. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to gain such an understanding in the Latina/o Studies Program at Cornell University.
What do you expect to remember best from your Cornell experience? The times I had with friends and the perseverance it took to get through college from the perspective of a first-generation college student.

Major, Minors, and Concentrations: Major in Psychology and Feminist, Gender & Sexuality Studies. Minor in Latina/o Studies.
Short and Long Term Post-graduation/Career plans: I will attend the University of Chicago in Fall 2021 where I will be completing my Master’s in Social Work. My career goal is to become a mental health counselor. To me, a successful mental health counselor is one that understands and acknowledges the historical, institutional, racial, and structural inequities that have shaped the community they are working with. Therefore, hope to be working as a counselor for at-promise youth in Chicago in the future. 
What has the LSP minor meant to you? The LSP minor has given me more than I thought possible. When I decided to take an LSP course my freshman year, I only expected to learn a little more about my own history. However, the courses that I took allowed me to strengthen my relationship with my Mexican culture and identity. Prior to taking Professor Madrid’s course on Music of Mexico, I would have never listened to corridos, mariachi, or son jarocho. It wasn’t until I took courses with Professor Valdez, Professor, Diaz, and Professor Jaime when I truly began to appreciate Chicano and Latinx art forms. Additionally, the LSP minor has informed me of Latinx politics, history, and contemporary issues. This knowledge is and will be crucial as I continue my studies and further work with Latinx communities in Chicago. Over all, the minor fostered professional, academic, and personal growth. I am beyond ecstatic that LSP will soon be a major for incoming students. I am excited the significance the major option will offer if this is already the impact that the minor provided for me and many others.

Major, Minors, and Concentrations: Major in Government. Minors in History and Latina/o Studies.
Honors and Acknowledgements: Posse Scholar.
Short and Long Term Post-graduation/Career plans: I'll be two years in DC working as a paralegal.
What has the LSP minor meant to you? Learning about my culture and the broader implications that come with the umbrella term "Latinx" and its variations over decades. Claiming my own identity as a Mexican American while being able to understand the generations of Mexican Americans that have been in the United States (predating its founding).
What do you expect to remember best from your Cornell experience? The little moments with friends on campus. I had a really tough time my first semester making friends, and it really wasn't until junior year that I felt like I found a solid network of friends and mentors that allowed me to feel comfortable and confident in multiple aspects of my life.

Degree and Concentrations: Ph.D. Performing & Media Arts. Minor in Latina/o Studies.
Short and Long Term Post-graduation/Career plans: In January 2021, I began a position as Libra Assistant Professor of Theatre and English at the University of Maine. I continue to collaborate with my Kolkata-based intercultural performance collective and to create work on/in and about cultural and national borders. My long term goals: continue to collaborate on performance work that connect us across divides and to inspire my students as much as they inspire me.
What has the LSP minor meant to you?  It has been a tremendous honor to study with and alongside such creative thinkers in LSP. I feel particularly blessed to have gained deepened perspectives on border studies through the LSP lens.
What do you expect to remember best from your Cornell experience?  Working with my incredible committee Dr. Karen Jaime and Dr. Naminata Diabate and my committee chair Dr. Debra Castillo who, not only guided me in my scholarship but also introduced me to some of my most beloved creative partners.

Major, Minors, and Concentrations: Major in Industrial Labor Relations. Minor in Latina/o Studies.

Major, Minors, and Concentrations: Major in Industrial and Labor Relations. Minor in Business and Latina/o Studies
Honors and Acknowledgements: Merrill Presidential Scholar, James Campbell Award, P3, Tradidion Fellow.
Short and Long Term Post-graduation/Career plans: I'll be working as a paralegal at a lbaor and employment law firm for a couple of years before applying to law school!
What has the LSP minor meant to you?  The LSP minor has truly given me a community at Cornell. The 4th floor of Rockefeller Hall became a second home and provided familiarity in such a foreign environment, especially being a first-generation low-income student. The classes I took and Friday luncheons I attended gave me a space to learn about my own culture and history. They also allowed me to expand my knowledge of other Latinx diasporas. LSP has been a community where I've made amazing friends, met incredible faculty and mentors, and learned more about the histories and culturas of the Latinx community.
What do you expect to remember best from your Cornell experience? I'm truly going to remember the people I've met and the communities I've become a part of. My time at Cornell would not have been the same without the immense amount of support and guidance from the friends and mentors that I've made throughout my undergraduate career.

Major, Minors, and Concentrations: Majors in Sociology and Performing & Media Arts. Minors in Latina/o Studies and Inequalities.
Short and Long Term Post-graduation/Career plans:  I will be teaching in Philadelphia through Teach For America.
What has the LSP minor meant to you? It has helped me feel seen in the classroom by introducing me to Latinx history and culture I hadn't previously been exposed to. These classes have opened my eyes to how valuable it is to have a diverse education.
What do you expect to remember best from your Cornell experience?  The community of people that supported me and lifted me up even through the most difficult days.

Major, Minors, and Concentrations: Majors in Spanish and Sociology.  Minors in Latina/o Studies, Latin American Studies, Law and Society, Inequality, and Anthropology.
Honors and Acknowledgements: Tradition Fellow; Coalition-Builder through Cornell DREAM Team.
Short and Long Term Post-graduation/Career plans: I will be working full time in consulting, but my long term plan is to eventually open up a nonprofit organization to support first generation, low-income students.
What has the LSP minor meant to you? The LSP minor has allowed me to connect with others from similar background and to find a community. The people I have met throughout the minor have become my closest friends, and it is with their support that I have thrived during my undergraduate career.
What do you expect to remember best from your Cornell experience? The people I met from the students, staff, and faculty are who I will remember best from my Cornell experience. The memories I have made from small interactions to the larger conversations where wisdom was passed down to me will be in my memories for years to come. To those who I have met, I am grateful that you allowed me to find myself and my passions.

Major, Minors, and Concentrations:  Ph.D. Government. Minor in Latina/o Studies.
Honors and Acknowledgements: National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program Recipient; Provost Diversity Fellow.
Short and Long Term Post-graduation/Career plans: I plan to teach courses in American and Latinx politics at a liberal arts college this upcoming academic school year and prepare for a career in teaching/research at a four-year university.
What has the LSP minor meant to you? LSP offered a space on campus where I felt a sense of belonging. Through the LSP minor, I met incredible students, faculty, and staff and created lifelong friendships. The LSP minor provided me an opportunity to deepen my understanding of social, political, and economic processes that have shaped the lives of Latinxs in the U.S.
What do you expect to remember best from your Cornell experience? The amazing mujeres I met thriving in the academy despite all odds and how we forged community both on and off-campus.

Major, Minors, and Concentrations: Majors in Sociology and Government. Minors in Latina/o Studies and Inequality Studies.
Short and Long Term Post-graduation/Career plans: I will be attending Indiana University School of Law next fall.
What do you expect to remember best from your Cornell experience? The friends I made as part of the Spanish Debate team and being a brother of Phi Gamma Delta.

Major, Minors, and Concentrations: Major in Global Development. Minors in Latina/o Studies and Inequality Studies.

This year's recipient of the senior award for outstanding work in the Latina/o Studies undergraduate minor, community engagement and academic achievement was awarded to:

Tomás Daniel Chávez Reuning: "Tomás possesses high levels of maturity, creativity, and modesty—all of which have proven to be the perfect combination for working with fellow students and faculty of different cultural backgrounds and intellectual training. He is amongst an important class of changemakers in the arts and humanities. He is team-oriented, open-minded, intelligent with limitless potential, and possesses a genuine civility."

The Latinx Student Success Office is proud to award our certificate of appreciation recognizing outstanding dedication and service to Cornell's Latinx student community to Iván Solís Cruz, the Residence Hall Director for the Latino Living Center.

Iván calls Chicago home and came to Cornell with a Masters in College Student Personnel Administration as well as a background in residence life, environmental conservation and outdoor education. LSSO has deeply valued Ivan’s passionate dedication, sensitivity, integrity and can-do attitude during this extremely challenging pandemic year- his first with the LLC-, on multiple collaborations to show up, advocate for and support Cornell’s Latinx students.

Why did you choose Cornell?

Cornell was my dream school. Although I was originally an animal science major, I really appreciated how well-rounded it was as an institution. In particular, I really admired our Literatures in English department, which I eventually ended up transferring into.

What is your main extracurricular activity and why is it important to you?

Serving as the first openly trans LGBTQIA+ Representative on the Student Assembly has given me the opportunity to advocate for queer, trans, URM, and first-gen students on a large scale, as well as connected me with students, faculty and staff across the university.  Read full story.