Fun Fact: I enjoy traveling with my yorkie named Ella.
What Drew You To The Humanities?: My passions for learning and social justice drew me to the humanities. This past winter, I had the pleasure of visiting El Salvador. On my trip, I was able to meet many community partners who have impacted my life, how I view myself, and my understanding of the humanities. Meeting people from different communities, hearing their stories of war and experiences under an oppressive government, and learning about how they chose to handle these ongoing issues allowed me to think about how I can address injustices in my community. I learned the importance of understanding community, the struggle, the ongoing fight it takes to build community, and the importance of intentionality in preserving community. The humanities have allowed me to feel seen, validating my understandings of the world. What most excites me about the humanities is the opportunity to work with community partners in my own community and implement what I learned from my trip to El Salvador.
Luz Alexandra Perez Herrera
Pronouns: She/Her
Program and Level of Study: Luz is a junior majoring in Psychology (Human Service) and minoring in Latin American and Latino Studies.
Fun Fact: I love going to concerts! When I was 14, I was able to meet my favorite Latin Boy Band, CNCO! Currently, they are no longer together.
What Drew You To The Humanities?: As a first-generation college student with a Mexican background, my upbringing was culturally rich! My culture heavily shapes the way I come to understand resilience, determination, and what it means to be part of a community. Growing up, I was often aware of the disadvantages or inequalities experienced within my own people. My decision to study psychology with a concentration in Human Services was primarily influenced by how much of a gap I saw within my community and mental health resources. As a psychology major I have learn to further understand people within a broader context of culture, society, and the system surrounding us. The humanities allow me to further explore the layers of the human experience, especially when they are connected with issue such as migration, equality, and identity - which are issues that are also deeply personal to me.
The humanities challenge us to have difficult conversations for the greater good of each other; they help us create space for everyone. The humanities are a tool that help us amplify the voices and experiences of marginalized communities, which then lead us to have a based in which social change can begin. Personally, I am drawn to the humanities because they align with my desire to be an active listener of the people who are most in need. I believe that through such hard conversations we are able to understand the way in which we can advocate for those who often have been overlooked. As a future professional, I think it is important to set aside time for us to reflect on our positionality and how is it that we can also create change around us, which in part this is what the Humanities call me to do!
Sadie Peterson
Pronouns: She/They
Program and Level of Study: Sadie is a freshman majoring in Geography (Urban Planning) and minoring in Spanish.
Fun Fact: I work at an outdoor summer camp where we make swords from recycled cardboard and play capture-the-flag in the woods!
What Drew You To The Humanities?: I am drawn to the humanities because they offer the opportunity to combine and apply many different areas of knowledge at once. I am deeply interested in what it means to be, and how to be, human, and the humanities offer many venues to explore these ideas. I am excited to work with real-world applications of the humanities as a student fellow for HumanitiesX!