Moving to the U.S. at twelve years old reshaped how Tatiana understood history and identity. Growing up in Colombia, she was aware of some of the political violence and instability that marked much of our national narrative. This knowledge started to fade away in high school as she was learning about American history, but her interest in history classes was always in U.S.-Latin American relations. Because of this, she hopes to major in Political Science and History with a minor in Latin American Studies on the pre-law track in order to explore the region’s political development and implementation of transitional justice. She is particularly interested in how democratic institutions evolve under pressure, why some regimes collapse into authoritarianism while others endure. How have 20th-century coups, civil conflicts, and U.S. foreign interventions shaped contemporary governance in Latin America? What does “democracy” mean across countries with shared colonial histories but divergent political trajectories?
By being part of this program, Tatiana hopes to refine her voice not only as a student, but as a citizen capable of contributing thoughtfully and confidently to complex conversations. She looks forward to engaging with different perspectives and learning how dialogue can foster intellectual growth and community well-being.
Outside of the classroom, her passion revolves deeply around fitness. Being part of the Club Basketball team and being a basketball coach for the Sports, Fitness, & Health program of the Netter Center, she can share her love for basketball, the impact it has had on her life, and connect with people from different backgrounds. In her free time, she also love running on the Schuylkill River and exploring Philadelphia.