McKensie Sprow is a Master's student in the Regional Studies: Latin America & the Caribbean program at Columbia’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS).
For the Fall semester, she is doing a virtual internship organized through the Santiago Center, working with the Millennium Nucleus on Art, Performativity, and Activism (NMAPA), researching the performative aspects of social movements in the Americas.
“I have been enjoying my research internship position with NMAPA in Santiago. I am contributing my own research concerning sites of memory in Argentina, and how politics, particularly related to Covid-19, have impacted their funding and general existence,” Sprow says. “Although my work acts as a contribution to the broader research of my supervisor [sociologist Manuela Badilla Rajevic], I will also be assisting her with things that she is directly researching pertaining to the recent social movements in Chile.
“I love that the internship is flexible with my schedule, and that I have the opportunity to expand my research experience.”
The GSAS student adds that her choice in the master’s program is due to her passion for Latin America. “When I was 18, I had the opportunity to travel sola to Cusco, Peru for two weeks to work with a local organization. Those two weeks were a pivotal moment in my life for many reasons, but they most notably had substantial impact on my academic career choice. I became enthralled with Andean culture and perfecting my Spanish; as a result, I desired to develop a deeper understanding of the comprehensive domain of Latin America. Throughout undergrad, I found every excuse to travel back to South America, and ever since, I have dedicated myself to historical study of the region.”
