Human rights
Digón grew up speaking Spanish at home and since then has acted on her deep interest in ethnic and minority issues. Last summer, she was one of only 30 American students chosen to participate in Humanity in Action, an international exchange program in which delegates, or "fellows," study national identity, human rights and the protection of minority rights. In the Netherlands, Digón worked on an intensive team research project (which was later presented and published by Humanity in Action), visited historical sites and attended various lectures and discussions.
"Humanity in Action was a fantastic experience. Everyone we interacted with-from the other fellows, to the project directors, to the speakers that addressed us-had a fascinating story to tell. I will never forget our visit to Westerbork, one of the deportation camps for the Jews, or the words of the resistance fighters who addressed us in Amsterdam. I will never forget being in the Hague or listening to Dutch professors explain why there is no ethnic profiling in the Netherlands today," said Digón.
Chasing the bad guys
Right after graduation, Digón will intern for five weeks in the communications department of Interpol, an international police organization whose mission is to help authorities around the world prevent, detect and suppress crime. "Hopefully I will catch some big criminals while there. It's located in Lyon, France, the food capital of France, another highlight," said Digón.
Digón will start a full-time job at the beginning of August working at the law firm of White & Case as a legal assistant in their Washington, D.C. office. "I'm really excited about it. I am going to be working in the international arbitration division, focusing primarily on cases in Latin America. I will have the opportunity to use Spanish and French on a regular basis," said Digón.
Global perspective
In addition to her various other accolades, Digón was selected to be a Goldman Sachs Global Leader in her sophomore year. For her application essay on a "global challenge," Digón wrote about what it was like to teach English in Holyoke as someone who grew up speaking Spanish at home, like many of the students in the classroom, but in very different cultural environments.
Triple time
Digón's international perspective is very much reflected by her coursework. She is a triple major in English, French and political science, something which is rare, even at the College. "Being a triple major made a lot of sense for me as the three majors represent what I am most passionate about," said Digón.
Trilingual in French, Spanish and English, Digón naturally incorporated all three languages into her thesis on how identity is represented in detective fiction. She read French and Spanish authors such as Marquez, Conde and Chamoiseau in their native language, and wrote in English. According to her thesis advisor, Professor of French Leah Hewitt, "In her senior honors thesis on French and Spanish detective novels of the Caribbean, she drove home her points about collective identity with the assurance of a professional critic."
Professor of English Rhonda Cobham-Sander, who taught Digón as a "scared-looking" sophomore in an English 75 Seminar on national narratives, notes, "She had this way of sounding very tentative when she ventured an insight so it was always a delight when we actually got to hear how profound the insight was. She's passionate about her work and very, very funny."
As if that weren't enough
Digón has also found the time to be a visible force in student activities. She began working for The Student as a features editor. She eventually became managing editor of that section, and then worked her way up to the position of executive editor. "Fundamentally, the three years I spent on The Student come down to the people, both on the staff and those we interviewed. I made good friends on staff during the late Tuesday nights in the office and I had the chance to find out about and interview alumni who have done really exciting things since graduating from Amherst."
In addition, Digón has been very active as an AAS senator for the past two years. During her terms, she has served on the Committee on Educational Policy, the Elections Committee, and the Discipline Committee. She notes, "It was an good experience ... I enjoyed getting to know a little more about what goes on in the administration and meeting faculty members outside my disciplines of study."