Our Alumni

Benny Concepcion (2008) was the first LALS major at �鶹��ýAV University. As a student, he traveled to Mexico and the Dominican Republic to study globalization. He eventually earned the National Hispanic Caucus Fellowship in Washington D.C., where also worked as an elementary school teacher.  Benny says that a major in Latin American and Latino Studies helped him prepare for many personal and professional challenges. Currently, he is earning a Ph.D. in Spanish Literature at the University of Chicago.

Roseanne Moy (2009) earned a LALS minor to compliment her B.A. in Education.  She works with elementary school students in Newark and is now completing her M.A.  Roseanne says “a majority of my students come from Latino families. The minor helps me to be a better mentor to them.”

Angelique Rios (2009) earned a minor in Latin American and Latino Studies. Among her experiences, she traveled to Puerto Rico to study globalization.  After writing a thesis on the transmission of culture from Puerto Rico to the mainland, Angelique says the LALS Program gave her an opportunity “explore myself and my family in a way that I had not done before.” She is now completing an M.A. in social work at Rutgers University.

Noel Borges (2010) was a triple major in Sociology, Political Science and Latin American and Latino Studies and plans to attend law school before going into public service to serve Latino communities. Noel recently participated in the Latino Leaders Fellowship Institute and is now teaching social studies with Teach for America.  He says that courses in Latin American and Latino Studies help him “better understand the struggles and concerns of the Latino population.”

Stephanie Riano (2010) wants to be a family therapist. As a sociology major and LALS minor, she says “I enjoy being able to take classes and work on research projects that help me understand why families leave Latin America and what happens to them when they arrive here.  Stephanie is currently earning and MSW from Hunter College in New York City.

Alexandra Hernandez (2011) wants to be a university professor and travel the world. As a LALS student, she went to Puerto Rico twice to study the experiences of Dominican and Cuban immigrants in San Juan. Alexandra says “I really enjoyed the opportunity to travel and conduct first-hand research in Puerto Rico; writing a paper was more interesting that way.” She is currently teaching English in Korea.

Alberto Groves (2013) is preparing for law school and is heavily involved in New York City politics. He says that “a LALS degree prepared me for a variety of challenges and experiences in city politics.” Alberto will continue his work here in New York, but also expects to get more involved in the international scene.