A personal interest drew Daniel Reyes ’17 to his first Latin American studies course, and through it he discovered an expansive academic landscape. His grandparents emigrated from Cuba to the United States, but he never learned much in his Miami high school about the history his family was part of. At Hamilton he took the Politics of Latin America and realized how much more he wanted to know.
Reyes likes that in Latin American studies he can learn in English and Spanish, which allows him to go deeper and to improve his Spanish. “Sometimes there will be optional texts that are in Spanish. You get the point of view of an American writing about XYZ topic, but also someone of that country writing about the same topic,” Reyes says.
He’s pursuing his interest in Latin America through a major in Hispanic studies, and he also majors in government. As a rising junior he spent a summer in Costa Rica with a small Hamilton group researching institutions that act as intermediaries between the people and their government.
On campus Reyes is a tutor and teaching assistant in Spanish. He’s thinking about the Peace Corps and a Fulbright or other fellowship options after he graduates. His long-term goal is a graduate degree in urban planning.
