Right now, Ousia studying abroad at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso (Chile) through Beloit’s International Student Exchange Program, but will return in Beloit in the spring to take more advanced seminars in Critical Identity Studies.

What makes you want to be a CRIS major?

I was very happy to see the new major, because it brings together a lot of fields that are important to me. As a Spanish major, and someone who hopes to work with immigrants and migrant communities in the US and beyond, understanding and appreciating multicultural and diverse identities is vital.

What are your CRIS learning goals?

I want to expand my knowledge and understanding of various feminist theories, especially through classes that analyze race, class, ability, and other facets of identity. I hope to be more fluent in discussing, explaining, and critically analyzing power structures that exist within global societies in order to help try to work for social justice in all that I do.

What do you want to do with your CRIS knowledge/skills in your post-Beloit life?

I hope to work for immigrant and worker justice in the US and in Latin America (among other things, of course). This might include going to graduate school for an interpretation degree, and will surely include direct-action and advocacy work on the US-México border.

What would you tell other students thinking about majoring or minoring in CRIS?

Some might think that the major is too broad, and not understand the intersections between the different fields it covers. I would tell them that the intersections between the fields actually do make sense because the grouping reflects the multifaceted identities all people have, and it is important to recognize that overlapping to really understand people and groups.