Stephanie C

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Majors: Environmental Studies & Geography

Hometown: Berkeley Heights, New Jersey 

Age: 21
Parents' Home Country: Peru

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"To me, culture means how people navigate through life given their background and their roots. This doesn’t necessarily have to be tied down to one specific place. To me, how I celebrate and present my Peruvian culture to the world, as well as my Latina culture, and my New York/New Jersey culture goes to show how pride and self expression don’t have to necessarily be limited to one intersection of one’s self. You can be excited to showcase every facet of your personality, beliefs, and background.

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After immigrating to the U.S. from living in Peru for his entire life, my father attended NYU Poly and got his Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering when he was my age, and was Class of ‘92. My mother did not go to college - she only went to high school back when she was still in Peru - but when she got here, she became a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA).

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Being a second generation American means that I get the opportunity to hear about the lived experiences of my parents, grandparents, and my extended families. I get the opportunity to shape my future at UConn because of the decisions my father and mother made when they were my age. It empowers me in the way that it just adds to the different layers of my family’s history, culture, and values."

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