CIEE Latin America Fellow Spotlight: Sophia Neal
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Meet the CIEE Leading Change in Latin America Student Fellows!
Follow along as CIEE sends 100 student leaders on a fully-funded semester abroad through the CIEE Leading Change in Latin America Fellowship. In this series, we spotlight Fellows as they immerse themselves in Latin American culture, grow as leaders, and prepare to make an impact worldwide.
Name: Sophia Neal
School: California Polytechnic State University
LATAM Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Q1: How does your personal background or identity shape your interest in Latin America?
My background has had a profound impact on my interest in Latin America. My mother is from Venezuela, ever since I was born I spent multiple weeks per year in Venezuela to visit my family. Being introduced to such a vibrant culture since birth has instilled a deep appreciation and adoration for my Latina identity. In 2014, the crisis in Venezuela became too grave to avoid and too dangerous for me to return. Being separated from my family and from my culture was difficult. And I lost interest in my Latina identity. For my mother that was unacceptable and when I was ten we moved to Puerto Rico. I spent the year there attending school, playing soccer, and making friends. I became fluent in Spanish and reignited my connection to my Latin identity. Since then, I have traveled to countries all across Latin America from sleepaway camps, service trips, vacations, to adventure, I couldn’t imagine myself without this aspect of my identity. I one day will return to Venezuela, but I am grateful that even apart, I am proud to be Venezuelan.
Watch here: Sophia watches a live tango show in Buenos Aires
Q2: What excites you most about studying abroad in Latin America ?
What excites me most about studying abroad in Latin America is getting to explore a new country and use my Spanish. I don’t get a lot of opportunities to exercise my Spanish in the United States. My number one priority when choosing a study abroad location was going to a Hispanic country. My Spanish is influenced by various countries in Latin America and I am excited to add another country to the list by learning the accent and slang of Argentina while engaging in unique cultural activities such as tango, milongas, mate, trying local restaurants, and meeting new people!
Q3: What Latin American cultural tradition are you most excited to immerse yourself in?
Tango is the tradition I am most excited to immerse in. I have never taken a dance class before but studying abroad is about trying new things! Tango is a unique cultural aspect of Argentine culture and I am determined to learn it. Even if today it is not the genre of choice for the common Argentine my age it still has deep cultural and historical roots representing and shaping the passion, connection, ease, and heart of the Argentinian people.
Q4: Are there any social, political, or historical topics you're especially interested in learning more about while abroad?
I am excited to learn more about Las Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo. They are the grandmothers of children who disappeared during the dictatorship in Argentina during the 70s and 80s. I am taking a class called Human Rights through Film and we already have watched a film on it and I attended the weekly ceremony of the Abuelas in Plaza de Mayo to demand answers on the disappearance of their children. It is really inspiring how they turned their grief into empowerment for people affected by the dictatorship and I’m really excited to continue exploring this aspect of Argentine history.
Watch here: Sophia visits the Musuem of Latin American Art in Buenos Aires
Q5: What does it mean to you to engage with Latin America as a learner rather than a visitor?
For me what it means to be a learner versus a visitor in a new country/ location/ or city is making active decisions to be immersed in the culture and to be uncomfortable rather than just observing from the outside. It means asking questions, listening deeply, and engaging with people and traditions in a way that challenges my own perspective. A visitor passes through, but a learner takes the experience and applies those lessons.
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