As senior student-coordinator for the Academic and Co-Curricular Excellence (A.C.E.) peer-mentor program, Peer Mentor program, Maria Smith \u201922 helps new Dickinson students of color, first-generation students, and international students with the transition to college. She\u2019s also a tour guide, an admissions fellow and honors student who presented original research at the 2022 Northeast Modern Language Association Convention. Below, double major in Spanish & Portuguese and Latin American, Latinx & Caribbean studies discusses those experiences as well as her remote internship, her research on representations on Afro-Spanish and Moroccan women, her study-abroad summer and more.<\/p>\n
Hometown:<\/strong><\/p>\n Carlisle, Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n Majors:<\/strong><\/p>\n Spanish & Portuguese studies<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Latin American, Latinx & Caribbean studies<\/a>.<\/p>\n Clubs\/organizations:<\/strong><\/p>\n Dickinson Liberty Caps (tour guides<\/a>),\u00a0Admissions Fellows<\/a>, Academic and Co-Curricular Excellence\u00a0(A.C.E.) Peer Mentor Program<\/a>\u00a0(senior coordinator), Anwar Belly Dance (co-president), Dean’s List and Gamma Sigma Alpha.<\/p>\n Favorite movie:<\/strong><\/p>\n Moana.<\/em><\/p>\n Favorite thing about my major:<\/strong><\/p>\n What I love best is that there are many opportunities to work closely with\u00a0faculty<\/a>\u00a0through independent\u00a0research<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0independent study<\/a>\u00a0and through\u00a0being a\u00a0research assistant<\/a>! The major is also flexible, with lots of chances to take classes that align with your interests!<\/p>\n Favorite place on campus:<\/strong><\/p>\n The quiet section of library, in between the book stacks.<\/p>\n Favorite off-campus spot:<\/strong><\/p>\n Issei Noodle.<\/p>\n On studying abroad:<\/strong><\/p>\n I\u00a0studied abroad<\/a>\u00a0in\u00a0M\u00e1laga, Spain<\/a>, during summer 2019. It was an amazing experience, and I improved my Spanish speaking skills by spending some time over there! I loved my host family, and the weekend trips my class took were really fun!<\/p>\n As a kid, I wanted to be \u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2026 a veterinarian.<\/p>\n Post-Dickinson plans:<\/strong><\/p>\n I plan to move to Spain for a year and teach English. Then\u00a0I plan to\u00a0pursue a Ph.D. in Spanish &\u00a0Portuguese studies (school TBD!).<\/p>\n