No, I'm actually Peruvian. I think I'm like 1/16th Italian, but for the first 18 years of my life I denied it.
What activities are you involved in on campus?
Well, [La] Causa takes over my life. I'm also the ruling dictator of La Casa, that's what my co-president said, hehe.
What's after Amherst for you?
I started out as an LJST major and I wanted to be rich and rule the world. Now I just want to join the Peace Corps and spend my life being poor helping other poor people. It's funny, because as a little girl I was ridiculously money-driven. I had a lemonade stand when I was 10 and made 80 bucks a day. It was way intense; I had more money back then than I do now …
Do you remember how life was back in the day when you were a first-semester little freshman girl?
I was sooo homesick. I didn't eat at Val for the entire first semester. I went home every weekend, and my mom made food so I'd eat that every week. It was drastic. I also lived in the mods. That's self-explanatory. Gotta love the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.
This may be a somewhat incriminating question (you don't have to answer it, but do, please do): Have you ever had to make use of ACEMS?
As a matter of fact, yes. I called ACEMS at three in the morning freshman year, because I had dislocated my kneecap. Actually I subluxed my platella (or putella?) That's what they called it at the UMass hospital. Whatever it was, I did it again a few months ago during a trip to Peru. Both times, it happened while dancing (I don't do sports), but I was not intoxicated.
What do you think about life after death?
Ever since I saw "The Mummy Returns" I've been convinced I am a re-incarnated Egyptian princess. I was like: "Nefertiti! That's me!"
Ever been host to a pre-frosh? Any strange/funny/weird stories to add to the litany?
Yes. Once my pre-frosh's ex-boyfriend cursed at me for no reason. I was at a party on a Sunday night with all these pre-frosh trying to study for my French quiz (I'm a nerd, I took a vocabulary sheet to the party). He thought I was talking bad about him, but I had never even seen him before. It was kind of scary. I might have cried.
Submitted your Intent to Study Abroad form?
In the spring, I'm going to Argentina to study the great socialist thinkers and writers.
How's the summer looking?
I'm going to (hopefully) Peru to teach kids in an after-school program in the pueblos jovenes (shanty towns) and to set up a skills training program for adults and teens on the weekends.