In the past year at NYU, I have gone to school both in Buenos Aires, Argentina and New York City. Living in Buenos Aires for the Spring semester of my sophomore year was an experience I will cherish for the rest of my life. Along with working on my Spanish fluency, I learned the rich and complex history of Argentina through my NYU courses, befriending locals, and traveling to surrounding provinces. I was especially enthralled by a class taught by an Argentine local, called Queer Cultures and Democracy. It was in that class where I learned about the 1980s and 1990s AIDS/HIV crises that happened simultaneously in Argentina and the United States, and the incredible activism that took place to fight for the rights and lives of LGBTQ people.

Once back in New York City for the Fall semester of my junior year, I was immersed in my social work curriculum, taking classes such as “Human Behavior in the Social Environment,” “Homelessness in Perspective,” and “Diversity, Racism, Oppression, and Privilege.” In these past few months, I have learned an immense amount about the social work profession and my place and responsibility within it. I feel humbled and empowered to continue on this path to help as many people as I can. All of this would not be possible without the generosity of MVYouth. Thank you so very much.