My Background

I was born in Canada but raised in Aurora, Colorado. My parents are from Argentina. My younger brother has attended some college but I will be first to go and graduate. I went to public school I was assigned to me based on the neighborhood I lived in, it was in a very good school district, it had a good International Bacchloreate program and I was lucky that way.

 

Did your parents finish college?

I dont know if my grandparents went to college but my dad did graduate from college in Argentina. My mom did start college in Argentina, but she did not finish because she left to go to Canada. It is a very different story. It is not that they have no education at all but going to college in the US is certainly brand new territory

 

Did you always know you were going to college?

I think it was instilled in me at a very early age that I was going to college one day. I don't remember a conversation where my parents said "Nathalie, you should go to college" but I think I got the sense education was important- not just for economic reasons but it is beautiful and something that you will love ... My dad is always reading and I grew up with these books all over the place and I always really loved school from an early age. and I kind of assumed I would continue on to college, and only realized later that this was not somehing that happens in every household 

 

Were your parents supportive of your education? 

MY parents have been VERY supportive throughout the entire process. When I had to apply to college, we knew nothing about the process. I knew it was something I had to do and wanted to do. But I had no idea what the common app, a lot of these things i didn't have my parents on my back telling me to take the SAT or ACT, I was saying I think theres this test I had to do because my friends were doing it. And figuring out if you had to pay or filling out all these waivers tocover some of the costs and appliation fees...

 

But they never said no, don't go to college. then coming here, at least in the Latino community, the first reaction to me going to school at Harvard is at first; "did I hear that right?" A lot of parents are scared of not having their kids be close to them. But my parents think education is important and believe its time for me to become my own person and this will help me. 

 

They were very supportive of what I have wanted to study, Some people don't see how art history is practical and make you money -- my parents understand. If I like it and if it will help add to my intelligence and interests, then they support me and think I should do it. Thats something I cherish because not everyone's parents see it that way. 

 

Why did you want to come to college? 

I think when I first came to college , my reason has been the same. I've always wanted to be a scholar. I love the idea of being a scholar and I've always wanted to be intelligent. to be someone who knows knowledge. I love seeking knowledge and thats just what I do- i've found knowledge in different ways but my goal has always been to be a scholar...

My vision of a scholar at the start was an old white man but now my vision has changed because I am this short, Latina, young woman scholar and maybe not quite yet but thats the goal... I have always just been driven to find truth. 

I guess that makes me a philosopher of sorts, I'm not sure, but that's what drives me. I have so many big questions that I wntto find answers to. 

 

The second reason is that my family and I have I've become heavily involved Latino leaders in the community. People do look at us, my brother and I going to school or they say, she is a Latina at Harvard. Most people don't do that. I want people to know that Latinos deserve to be mentioned and want othes to feel like they can go to college too!

 

What's your dream job? 

I think my dream job would be to become a professor. Beocme the scholar that I have been dreaming of being. There are not enough Latinas that are professors.  When people see Latinos I don't think the first thing they think of are scholars or professors. 

 

My dad now teaches at local colleges, he is not a professor, but he has been mistaken for a janitor on a number of occassions

I want to be a professor, but it is also great that I can be a Latina professor. Because I know I have values and experiences I can bring in. I think its just important to have representation in all different areas. I'm not doing it because I am a Latina, but i do recognize that this is great, and something that does not always happen very often. And I hope maybe i can play a small role in changing this common perception in the process.

 

What have you learned since the start of college? 

Coming to Harvard I have learned so many things that I didnt expect to learn, especially regarding social justice issues. 

 

I've learned how to vocalize so many problems that I didn't know how to vocalize before--regarding priveleged dynamics and  differnt kinds of oppressions, and be able to have conversations about them or be able to talk about my experience in a better way that I wasn't able to do before.

 

 

What do you think you've gained from college? 

Having an education also makes you a more interesting and enlightened person. 

 

You are able to see things you didnt see before and I think that makes you a better citizen in the world. It makes you more present in the world. And thats just the kind of person I've wanted to be. I feel liked I've lived more in the world- as cheesy as it sounds.

 

It opens up so many doors. You won't just have a job, but you will have a stable job and a stable career. I have seen people without college degrees who are fine and live fine lives with their families and homes. However I feel as though with my degree-- I am an active participant in my life, rather than things passively happening to me. I feel I can be creative now. That is a luxury, it's beautiful not everyone can do that. I don't know how things will happenjust yet but I know I have options.

 

Who did you get help from when applying to colleges? 

My counselor in high school was very helpful to me, which I know is not always the case. But mine, Mrs. Carpenter, was a huge help and really encouraging. A family friend, Rich Mitchell, He had went to college in the US and he helped us. He put us in touch with people at the schools I was applying to - Harvard, Northwestern, and U. of Missouri and by talking to those people and others I started to make connections. I didn't fully know what was even going on- they were just telling me-- but I just started reaching out to people I knew had gone to college- They helped me learn about the colleges and learn from people who ahd gone there or help coordinate visits. 

 

Looking back, I had no idea what I was doing. I applied to 5 schools- which is not the norm anymore. But i didn'tknow any better because no one told me those things. I was told apply to where you really wanna go. I didn't cast a wide net, I was pretty selective, but it fortunately worked out pretty well. I wouldn't recommend everyone doing that. But I did choose schools that I was really interested in. I didn't research as much as I would've liked.I love Harvard and would have probably chosen it regardless but If I had done more research I might've done things a little differently. 

 

I am very fortunate to have the Mellon Mace undergraduate fellowship- which has provided me with a community of mellons and mentors that I can go to for these types of questions. for underrepresented/minority students interested in the humanities or generally interested in PhD programs, applying sophomore year-receiving junior year it has just been incredibly helpful. It has been one of the most helpful networks I have been apart of here. I also have relationships with professors who are helping me as well. I know if I want to be in academia one day that is who I should go to. I will be working with Barbara Fash at the Peabody museum on a special project next semester and I am really excited about all theopportunities I have.

 

 

Who is the most influential person in your life? 

It's tough. There are So many people have influenced me in so many different ways. My parents I look to for a lot of advice Social matters- spirituality, social issues.

 

I have my academic mentors, who have shaped a lot of the way I understand my field

 

And then I have a few select friends who I really lean on. and who have taught me how to be confident and love myself

 

And they have all been important components that have been developed throughout my college career. 

 

 

What has your college experience been like as a first generation student? 

College gave me the space to find myself but I think I now, I have started to maybe come into my own, but it has taken a long time with ups and downs, but having these people who knew me before college, those have gone through the college process with them and those that underrstand the academic system ---coming together --have helped guide me to who I am today. 

 

It has shaped my experience. I came in and knew about harvard but i didnt KNOW about Harvard. Compared to others who are legacies or grew up here lived here all their lives going through nice, fancy private schools. I kind of thought everyone was going to be like me who went to public school and got good grades but, after my first impressions, I felt really lost for awhile, I didn't know who I wanted to lean on,

I didn't know how to talk to professors, I didn't know what it meant to be a college student, and I didn't know what it meant to go to an elite school. 

Along with figuring out just the idea of going to college Ihad to figure out a lot of other things on my own. 

My parents don't know what its like to go to college in the US..they dont know what its like to go to college away from parents .... My dad went to college and lived at home, and it was free.

Here I was far from parents in an environment where I didnt know what to expect. 

 

I came from a small suburban town to this urban, elite university and city and thats a big shift. and I couldnt rely on my parents anymore to help me navigate this because they didnt know what to expect either. So I had to navigate a lot of this on my own at first. I didn't know who to ask for help, because I wouldve if I knew. That is how being a first gen has colored my experience. 

 

I was carving out all this new territory and trying to relate back to my parents what I was feeling and thinking but there were these gaps in communication and even clashes with my parents because I didn't know how to explain these changes in who I was and what I was thinking and they didn't know what it was like here for me either.

 

when you are going to college you are not just growing as a student, as an academic, you are becoming an adult. Academically, My dad and I have had a good relationship and has been a really good example 

 

But personally and socially- Going home sometimes was tough because their little girl is growing up, in more ways then 1. 

 

In their eyes, I would leave as one person and come back as another person- because they did not see the gradual changes that had taken place for example when I left at the end of summer and come back at the end of a semester or year. That would take them back and there would be tension and sometimes fights.

 

What does your education mean to you? 

My education is who I am. It has defined me inso many ways. what i beleive about myself what I beleve about the world how people should treat each other. what I believe is important in life. through education it is a way to become the perosn I always wanted to be.I think for some people education is a way to make money eventually, but for me-- it was a way to grow as a person, to become a citizen of the world. I wanted to become a citizen of the world, I wanna live on this planet I wanna be here I don't wanna be a member.