Cast of Characters 2024!

Over the next three weeks my students will post about their experiences in Salvador and beyond, connecting their experiences to what we learned about race, gender, and inequality. I told them to think of these blog posts as "look parents, I am having a good time but I also have something smart to say about it!" Below is a brief introduction for each of the students blogging away in Brazil.

---

Alexa DeLeon is a sophomore at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University, hoping tp purse a major in political science, with a concentration in pre-law. She is originally from Cicero, Illinois. Alexa enjoys learning about underrepresented communities in the realm of policy issues and likes to be an advocate for inclusion for marginalized communities. Something fun about Alexa is that she has seven dogs, 3 males and 4 females. 

---

---

Morgan Van Beck is a senior Political Science and Hispanic Studies double major with a minor in Latino/Latin American Studies. She is originally from Sartell, Minnesota. Morgan's most formative educational experience was traveling around Guatemala with the Guatemala Human Rights Commission, which inspired the theme of her senior distinguished thesis: human rights abuses in post-conflict societies. Morgan recently received a Fulbright grant to teach English in Colombia and will be moving there shortly after graduation. ​

---

---

Carter Potthoff is a senior at Saint John's University, majoring in Hispanic Studies and Biology and minoring in Latino/Latin American Studies. He is originally from Sartell, MN. Some of his many research interests include indigenous groups, cultures, and religions in southern Mexico and Guatemala, immigration in the Americas, and racial dynamics in Latin America. In his free time, Carter loves trying out new recipes, spending time with his family and friends, and most people don't know this, but he is an avid birder! Carter is excited to visit Brazil for a second time and learn firsthand about race and gender!

---

---

​Allison Parker is a sophomore at CSB+SJU pursuing a major in Sociology with an Anthropology concentration, and a minor in Global Health. Her hometown is Belview, located in southwest Minnesota. She’s interested in learning about social behaviors and better understanding social, health, and cultural life issues. She looks forward to experiencing Brazilian culture and applying her studies abroad in Salvador. 

---

---

Alaina Rivero is a sophomore at College of Saint Benedicts, Hoping to pursue pharmaceutical sales after college with a major in global business leadership and a minor in biology. She is originally from Dayton, Minnesota. Alaina enjoys staying active, going to the gym, being with family and friends, and shopping. She loves learning about different cultures and how global health plays a role. Something that many people don't know about Alaina is that she swam competitively for 10 years. Alaina can't wait to broaden her knowledge on global health and sales in Brazil!

---

---

Ignacio Sanchez Romero is a senior at Saint John's University majoring in Economics with a minor in Data Analytics. He is from Minneapolis, Minnesota. He recently presented a research project on how migration status affects earnings from wages. He discovered that gender and migration status have an impact on wages. During his time in Brazil, he plans to expand on this work by conducting additional research on racial and gender inequality. One interesting fact about him is that this will be his second time leaving the country.

---

---

Jennifer Agustin Ambrocio is a Senior at the College of Saint Benedict, double majoring in Political Science and Hispanic Studies with a minor in Latin Latino American Studies. She is originally from Bloomington, Minnesota. Jennifer enjoys watching and reading the news at a international level. She studied abroad 3 times already, and Brazil will be the 4th time

---

---

Tania Salgado is a sophomore at CSB+SJU, majoring in Political Science with a minor in Data Analytics. She is from Sauk Centre, Minnesota. Tania has researched the many factors that contribute to violence against women at a worldwide scale. She is continuing her research this summer and is grateful for the opportunity to learn more about this issue in Brazil. She can't wait to spend three weeks in Salvador!

---

---

Joselyn Rubio-Correa is a sophomore at the College of Saint Benedict and is studying Computer Science with a minor in Political Science. She is a first-generation Mexican American who grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. Joselyn is the oldest of three and is looking forward to trying new foods, learning about Brazil’s culture, and sharing her experience in Brazil with her two younger siblings.

---