As part of the Cross Cultural Leadership Program through the Institute for Latino Studies, four Notre Dame undergraduates interned at Latino-serving organizations in Querétaro, Mexico. Jasmine Peña Ramirez ‘25, a Political Science and Latino Studies major interned at Needed: Instituto de Ayuda Humanitaria, where she assisted young Hispanic girls and women who have suffered from abuse. Grecia Alcantar ‘26, a Political Science and Latino Studies major, Xochitl Obispo ‘25, a Political Science and supplementary Spanish major and Latino Studies minor, and I interned at the Red Cross in Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico.
These four students had the opportunity to expand their knowledge by taking courses at El Tecnológico de Monterrey, Querétaro and immersing themselves in Mexican culture by living on campus, sharing spaces with current Tec students, and visiting different cities surrounding Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico. Taking courses at El Tecnológico de Monterrey was a great opportunity as well because it allowed them to experience a day-in-a-life of a Tec student and compare it to a day-in-a-life of a Notre Dame student They also had the opportunity to meet other international students from Texas, London, Japan, Germany, and Italy.
The four students got the opportunity to get a glimpse of adulthood as they had to budget for their grocery, transportation, and personal expenses throughout the duration of their stay in Querétaro, Mexico. They took advantage of all the beauty, nature, history, culture, and authentic Mexican cuisine that Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico had to offer. One of their main highlights was their trip to El Castillo de Chapultepec in Mexico City and the archaeological complex known as Teotihucán with the Pyramid of the Sun and Moon. On this trip, they learned about the pre-Aztecs in central Mexico.
Grecia Alcantar shares, “Walking the same streets that my parents walked as teenagers was a full circle moment for me that reminded me of how fortunate I am to be the daughter of immigrants at some of the best institutions in the world— The University of Notre Dame and El Tecnológico de Monterrey.”
Says Xochitl Obispo, “Studying and interning in Mexico was a very eye-opening and fun experience. Not only did I learn more about the culture, but I was exposed to a different learning environment that allowed me to better develop my leadership and communication skills.”
As a civil engineering major, interning at the Red Cross was still very rewarding in my opinion. It is important to develop communication and social skills alongside mathematical and critical thinking skills as engineers need to be able to be communicative and social with their co-workers and even with companies that they are delivering infrastructures to. Both the internship and the academic course from this experience were rewarding as I learned more about Mexican culture and marvelous places that are underseen.
Originally published by at latinostudies.nd.edu on August 23, 2023.