Introducing the students of CGE´s "Migration and Globalization" 2009!

(Clockwise from woman in grey shirt: Melissa, Amina, Goose, Vinnie, Kim and Ben)

Amina Hassen
Hi, I am a student at Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio (close to Cleveland). I am pursuing a double major in Comparative American Studies and Visual Arts, with a minor in Gender and Women's studies. I am currently in Mexico studying Globalization and Migration and Spanish. I really hope to gain a working knowledge of Spanish while here and to gain a better understanding of the impact of Globalization and Migration on the country. I find this course of studies particularly a good complement to my studies at Oberlin, where I look at identity formation in the United States through the lenses of race, class, gender and sexuality. I am originally from Takoma Park, Maryland.

Ben Pounds:

At Warren Wilson College (in North Carolina) my major is Creative Writing. I´ve lived most of my life in East TN. This program does not obviously fit into my major, although I´m set up to receive literature credit for at least one class here. I view being here as my chance to study other things that interest me. I want to refresh my Spanish, but also to get a better sense of the world around me and the world to come (admittedly this is not my best writing).

Josiah Guzik (“Goose”)

Hello, I am a sophomore Spanish major from Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, California. I love to speak spanish, to surf, and play the guitar. This is my first time in southern Mexico, so I am very excited to learn new things from this study abroad experience. So far it has been an amazing experience (apart from missing my girlfriend back home).

Hi! My name is Kimberly Griffin. I am a junior at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas (near Austin, Texas). My majors are Environmental Studies and Spanish, so I am obviously interested in environmental issues and learning Spanish, which is why this program in Mexico is perfect for me! The Environmental Studies program at my school is very interdisciplinary, so I am able to take classes across all disciplines, which is one of the reasons I really like it. I am really interested in environmental justice, race/gender/class/sexuality/ableness issues, global economics, economic development, activism, social change, history, philosophy, revolutions, grassroots organizing, Latin America, linguistics, art and art history, sustainable design, and a lot of other related things.

Hi! My name is Melissa Strype; I'm a junior at Skidmore College in New York and I'm currently studying in Cuernavaca, Mexico with the migration and globalization program. At Skidmore, I study Spanish, Women's Studies, and International Affairs, although I've taken classes in other disciplines, my favorites being: law, government, sociology, and anthropology. I'm very interested in women's issues, gender relations, reproductive rights, and political activism surrounding these topics. I also am passionate about theater, as I am a part of a sketch comedy group at my college with 8 other students. We write sketches, film them, and present them to people on campus for fun. I've also had some little, fun roles in different theatrical productions in the past few years at school, although I've been doing theater since I was 5! In terms of my family, my mother works for IBM, my father is a professor of film at Sarah Lawrence College in New York, and my sister is currently a first year student at Sarah Lawrence. We are from New Jersey.

Hola! My name is Vinnie Rodriguez. I am a Junior majoring in Management at Wentworth Institute of Technology and was born and raised from Bronx, NY. I am a member of the Center for Global Education Migration and Globalization program in Cuernavaca, Mexico. I play piano, and love to dance! So far I am having an amazing time here. It feels so good being here knowing that I am learning things that will have an impact on my school, my community and members of the local Mexican community. We are learning about our identities and the interculturalism with others, practicing our Spanish skills through intensive classes and conversations with members of the Mexican community, and are learning about the impacts of the migration trail on Mexican inhabitants. We are about to embark on a 5-day rural homestay with Mexican families, and will hear the many stories of how globalization, the falling economy, political struggles, and cultural changes have affected them. So far, I have heard great speakers, had great conversations, and met great people, and am looking forward to the next few weeks as well.