In the spring of my sophomore year, I took Elizabeth Corredor’s class, Gender and Comparative Politics. In this class, we analyzed the violence that women face in many countries and the peace-making efforts that result from these violent events. Over time, I grew to really enjoy the work that we were doing in class and decided to approach Professor Corredor after class to ask if she had any research projects she would need help with from a student.
I was not sure what would come out of this inquiry, but I wanted to express my ambition for working in the field. At the end of the year, Professor Corredor hired me as her research assistant. Shortly after, she asked me to accompany her to Mexico City for the Women, Peace, and Security Conference at the Canadian Embassy.
Due to my fluency in Spanish, I was tasked with taking detailed notes throughout the entire conference, which would eventually become a policy report for the Canadian Government. I was so nervous, but also excited, to travel to Mexico with my professor to assist her efforts in stopping femicides.
I prepared by ensuring that I was well versed in the research that Professor Corredor’s group had already conducted so that I could elevate my conversations and notes taken during the conference.
On June 3rd, I left for Mexico City from my home state of Texas. I was nervous to travel and find transportation to the hotel we were staying, but, fortunately, the Political Science Department at Bryn Mawr arranged transportation from Mexico City Airport to the beautiful, downtown hotel.
I had never been to Mexico City before and was charmed by its vibrant culture, art, food, and music. Each time I looked out my window in the taxi to the hotel, I found a new sculpture or mural representing the culture of the city. The people that I interacted with were extremely friendly, and my ability to speak Spanish – and the regular practice I get in my Spanish classes at Bryn Mawr – allowed me to fully immerse myself in the experience without facing a language barrier. Despite my nerves, my travel experience and first impression of the city and its people were positive; a perfect pre-conference introduction to the city.
On the day of the conference, I was so excited to participate in such an amazing opportunity and could not wait to meet all the amazing women on the research project. Upon arrival at the Canadian Embassy, Professor Corredor and I were prompted to go through a security screening, at which point we were told that we were not allowed to bring any backpacks, laptops, or any devices into the Embassy for security purposes. Although this was a slight blip in the day, I had prepared for something like this to happen and had brought a pen and a notebook. However, this did mean that for three hours, I had to take detailed handwritten notes in Spanish. Luckily, the minor setback did not take away from the major success of the conference.
For three hours, I listened to the different female scholars on the panel discuss the importance of raising awareness about the femicides in Mexico and the research they had already conducted. Two of these scholars had gone into the field to interview Mexican women who had experienced violence by men or who knew women affected by femicide. After the conference ended, I networked with several academics, professors, and researchers. I was extremely excited to talk with women from other universities and those who are already in the field or pursuing their Ph.D.’s.
On that day, I walked in not knowing what to expect and nervous that I would not live up to the expectations of my professor. I left the embassy having navigated the challenge successfully and gained a new level of confidence that I am capable of being a professional in this field. I am extremely grateful to Bryn Mawr and Professor Corredor for allowing students to immerse themselves in their majors and passions. I not only participated in the conference, but I also submitted a policy report to the Canadian Military which has since earned me a publication credit.
I am so glad that I stepped outside my comfort zone and into a new role in a different country and language. This opportunity provided me with a new understanding of my own capabilities, meaningful networking experience, and new policy writing skills. Moving into the fall semester, I have continued to do research with Professor Corredor and use the many skills that I learned to progress as a research assistant. I feel so fortunate for Professor Corredor’s mentorship and look forward to future opportunities to learn, grow and push the boundaries in my academic and career development.
Political Science Spanish
