Coursework
Since arriving at Swarthmore, I have taken several courses that I believe have become invaluable in determining my potential career paths. Below are some of them:
ANTH039: Food and Culture
Learning about the intersections between food practice and multiple facets of our culture (politics, environmentalism, religion) confirmed for me that food practice and food systems are at their core, humanisms. Consequently, this course solidified my passion for exploring what roles gastronomy plays in our everyday lives. Since taking ANTH039, I have pursued job opportunities specifically geared towards these themes.
SPAN076: Identidades en el siglo XXI
This course is entitled “Identities in the 21st Century” and was taught as a presentation-based course in Spanish. Not only did my Spanish speaking skills improve dramatically, but I also gained a nuanced understanding of how we construct out identities. That is, our personal experiences as well as superimposed “social identities,” such as gender, ultimately form how we see ourselves and how we walk through life.
RELG052: The Good Life
The overarching question of this class was, “What are the concrete changes we can implement in order to ensure that individuals have equitable access to living a good life?”
In exploring this question, I learned about how racial, gender, accessibility, etc inequality has contributed to barriers to living “the good life.” As it relates to my interest in food, this course deepened mmy understanding of the extent to which the role food systems play in creating healthy and fulfilling environments where individuals can thrive.
“In the past two years as a college student, I have realized that the world of food is where I am meant to be. Since entering college, I have taken coursework specifically geared towards food and its intersections with culture, science, and other disciplines with an ultimate (and perhaps lofty) goal of truly understanding how food practice permeates every aspect of life.”