ABOUT ME

My Positionality

Any cultural or postcolonial study requires a look into the author because their positionality can help form their argument and the lens through which they look at the issue. I was raised in Libertyville, Illinois, a Northern suburb of Chicago, where I graduated from a private high school, Lake Forest Academy, in 2013. I will be graduating from Michigan State University in May 2017 with a degree in Comparative Cultures and Politics, from the James Madison College, and a double minor in Spanish and Science, Technology and Environmental Public Policy. In high school I completed a 10 day leadership institute trip to Costa Rica focusing on sustainability and education that sparked my interest in environmental studies. I also spent 10 days in Cuba my Freshman year at MSU for a research study abroad and my Spring semester of Junior year in Valencia, Spain.
My interest in the Dominican Republic began after working with a large group of Dominicans at Six Flags Great America over two summers. I am still good friends with most of them and they showed me a very kind and caring side of their society. In addition to having personal connections with Dominican residents, I have taken a class on tourism in the DR that sparked my interest in their community. I have surrounded myself with the various Spanish cultures around the world and find their histories very interesting. I understand I come from a very privileged perspective, but I am aware of that and I check my privilege, and thus make my own positionality visible to conduct a thorough analysis of the Dominico-Haitian conflict.