DRCLAS Awards Ceremony Honors Student Excellence and Resilience
On May 28, the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies (DRCLAS) gathered faculty, students, and guests at Harvard’s Tsai Auditorium to celebrate its annual Awards Ceremony—a culminating moment that spotlighted transformative research, deep personal journeys, and the Center’s enduring mission to bridge Harvard and Latin America. This year, 32 students were awarded the Certificate in Latin American Studies, recognizing their interdisciplinary coursework, language proficiency, and substantial engagement with the region through original research, immersive field experiences, or senior theses.
Director Steven Levitsky opened the ceremony with both reflection and urgency, emphasizing DRCLAS’s unique role at a time of political pressure and institutional challenge. “Without international students, Harvard would not be Harvard,” he said. “Harvard and DRCLAS will remain open to Latin America and the world. We want to double the number of students we send to Latin America, and we will continue to welcome Latin American students, researchers, artists, and practitioners—with open arms.”
The ceremony’s keynote speaker, Assistant Professor Alejandra Vela Martínez, delivered a deeply personal reflection on the power of archival research and intergenerational storytelling. Her work, which centers on feminist counter-archives in Mexican magazines, began with a question from her grandmother and grew into a reimagining of who gets to shape cultural memory. “Even though these conversations might seem too informal or domestic,” she noted, “they’re actually full of knowledge, expertise, and affective wisdom.” She urged students to remain curious: “Keep asking questions, keep exploring. You never know what overlooked stories might lead to new ways of seeing the world.”
This spirit of inquiry and resilience was echoed in the student awards. Thesis prizes recognized outstanding undergraduate research on Latin America and the diaspora:
Sofía Yaliztli Ackerman-Sandoval received the James R. and Isabel D. Hammond Thesis Prize for her project “The Straw That Broke the Camel’s Back: The Enforced Disappearance of 43 Students in Guerrero, Mexico as a Catalyst for Social Change.” Her work examined how a national tragedy became a turning point for civic mobilization. “Mexico’s true strength lies in the resilience of its people,” she emphasized.
Evangela Gabeau, winner of the Joan Morthland Hutchins Thesis Prize, was honored for her thesis HAÏTI CHÉRIE: THE COLLECTIVE MEMORY OF THE HAITIAN PEOPLE. Raised in a Haitian church and music community, Gabeau spent much of her life immersed in Haitian culture yet felt that her identity was often overlooked in mainstream narratives of Latinidad. “It became more complicated when people would refer to Blackness as African American,” she explained, reflecting on the erasure she encountered. “There was a lot more to Haitian identity than I had realized.” Her thesis—rooted in interviews and content analysis—helped her reconcile those questions. “This project helped me find that place—and now I want to use it to help others too.”
Bryant Yahir Valenzuela, who received a Joan Morthland Hutchins Thesis Prize Honorable Mention [MR1] for his thesis “En Lo Que Vino y Vendrá: A Situated Narrative Film on Immigration, Love, and Time.” Inspired by his own family’s story, he sought to center love—rather than fear or trauma—in the immigration narrative. “I have devoted the entirety of my college education to ensuring that my community has a voice,” he said. “This piece is more than a love story between two immigrants—it is an act of defiance.”
Eduardo Vasconcelos Goyanna Filho earned the Kenneth Maxwell Thesis Prize on Brazilian Studies for his thesis “Gold, Greed, and Governance: The Capture of Local Governments by Illegal Gold Mining in the Amazon Rainforest.” He found that the most vulnerable municipalities were not the weakest, but those with enough institutional capacity to be captured. “Local governments are the first line of defense—and sometimes, unfortunately, the first to fall,” he said. “But I see hope in the Amazon, where democracy thrives in local leaders who keep showing up, standing up for what’s right.”
Luísa Shida, co-recipient of the Maxwell Thesis Prize, explored the relationship between electoral performance and media control under Brazil’s military dictatorship in her thesis “Radio Silent: Assessing Electoral Performance and Media Control in the Brazilian Military Dictatorship (1964–1985).” Her work highlights the enduring legacy of authoritarian tactics in shaping contemporary political landscapes. “What I witnessed throughout this research process is that authoritarianism isn’t a thing of the past,” she noted. “The methods and mindsets of 20th-century regimes are still with us today.”
Two graduates were also recognized for their upcoming fieldwork in Latin America:
Dariana González Aguilar, recipient of the Steve Reifenberg Travel Fellowship, will return to Mexico to study frog reproduction in Indigenous cloud forests. “Storytelling, memory, and making sure that future generations can see themselves in the future of their own are just as important as answering scientific questions in conservation,” she said. The project, she added, is “an opportunity to give back, to listen fully, and to continue building the relationships.” González Aguilar credited DRCLAS with making her undergraduate years “the most incredible adventure.”
Alejandra Beltrán Ordoñez, awarded the Clémence Jouët-Pastré Brazil Travel Fellowship, will work at the intersection of public health and dentistry in underserved Brazilian communities. “Latin America represents home, heritage, and connection,” she reflected. “Through dentistry, I hope to give back to the communities that have shaped me and help close persistent gaps in health equity.”
Beyond the prizewinners, more than 30 graduates and undergraduates were awarded Certificates in Latin American Studies, representing a wide range of disciplines and deeply personal motivations.
Byron Sergio Gonzalez recalled how a DRCLAS program in Mexico allowed him to reconnect with his roots: “Immersing myself in Mexico’s vibrant landscapes, rich history, and supportive queer community allowed me to embrace my identity more fully and deepen my sense of belonging.”
For José M. Quiroz Yañez, a Summer Travel Research Grant enabled fieldwork across three Mexican states for his thesis on judicial reform. “I was able to interview judges, Supreme Court justices, governors, and congresspeople—people from my home country—through an academic lens. That was incredibly meaningful.”
Ivan Garcia Zapata reflected on the complexity and promise of the region: “This certificate has made me realize the great wealth but also the great responsibility that comes with being Latin American… I am graduating with an optimistic view. For me, Latin America is still a land of opportunity.”
Sharon Ruiz Regino highlighted the diversity of DRCLAS experiences: “Through DRCLAS programs, I've had the wonderful opportunity to visit Mexico, Chile, and Brazil. It’s been incredible to learn from each country’s history, culture, and art.”
And Kate Del Val Gonzalez noted how academic study reshaped her sense of self: “Latin American history has helped me better understand my identity as a Mexican-American woman and my positionality within our history and the world.”
As the ceremony concluded, Levitsky returned to the theme of continuity and responsibility. “Stay with Latin America. Stay with us,” he told the graduates. “Whether you go on to careers in academia, policy, the arts, or business—your work matters.” He reminded students that their connection to the Center doesn't end at graduation: “Remember that you're always a part of our DRCLAS community. Your experience does not end here today—it is part of a lifelong connection to Latin America and, hopefully, to this institution.” His final words captured the essence of the celebration: “We make impossible conversations possible. That’s what DRCLAS does. And we need that more than ever.”
