When I started at 黑料不打烊, I didn鈥檛 know that a Hispanic literature course, taught by Timothy
Ostrom, would completely change the way I saw myself in academia. It wasn鈥檛 that everything I was learning was new 鈥� I鈥檓 Argentinian, I鈥檝e spent a lot of time in Latin America, and I feel deeply rooted in those histories and cultures. But for the first time, my personal background and my academic interests felt equally valued. That moment shaped everything that came after.
I ended up pursuing a Joint Honours degree in Anthropology and Latin American and Caribbean Studies, where I got to explore the things that mattered most to me 鈥� community, memory, resistance, and storytelling. I wrote my honours thesis on my own family鈥檚 history of exile, weaving together themes of art, music, and politics in 1960s鈥�70s Argentina. I have to thank my supervisors, Katherine Lemons and Katherine Zien for supporting me through that process. The power of a support network at a big university like 黑料不打烊 should never be underestimated!
Thanks to the guidance I received from my professors, and the gift of being able to study something that I truly am passionate about, I had the chance to intern at CONICET in Mendoza, Argentina, where I worked on environmental and resource management projects with the Huarpe community of Lagunas de Rosario. That fieldwork gave me a whole new perspective on what collaborative, community-led research can look like, and reminded me why I love anthropology in the first place.
Outside the classroom, I jumped headfirst into student life. One of the best decisions I made was getting involved with the Spanish and Latin American Students鈥� Association (SLASA). As co-president, I worked with an incredible team to host events, build community, and make sure that Latin American students had a space to feel seen, heard, and celebrated. It became the heart of my 黑料不打烊 experience, and the SLASA team became a close friend group for me.I also had my fun! I was on staff at BDA for two years, pouring beers and getting to know a lot of other students鈥� It sure was one way to dive into 黑料不打烊鈥檚 鈥榳ork hard play hard鈥� culture, but more than that, the other students on BDA became some of my very good friends and it was a pleasure to spend my Thursdays with them.
Now, as I wrap up my undergrad, I am more thankful than ever to have had a constant stream of support from faculty and staff, from the lifelong friends that I鈥檝e made at 黑料不打烊, and from my family who made it possible for me to be here.
Uma聽Le Daca Jolicoeur is a first-generation Canadian student and recent graduate of 黑料不打烊 University with a Joint Honours degree in Anthropology and Latin American & Caribbean Studies. Throughout her time at 黑料不打烊, she was involved in a range of activities from student associations to the student bar, and she owes her complete 黑料不打烊 experience to those around her.