Senior Leasly Salazar is using her studies at Duke to explore her own heritage.
“I was able to read a lot of different novels and books by a lot of different Mexican authors,” she said. “Reading more about my own culture and history has allowed me to expand on things I didn't know about Mexican literature and politics.”
Salazar is majoring in Spanish and Latin American studies, with minors in political science and psychology. She grew up in a Spanish-speaking household in Los Angeles. Although she is fluent in the language, she did not have any formal Spanish education until her last two years of high school.
“When I took my first Spanish course my freshman year, I realized it was something I was more interested in than my previous track,” she said. “Taking Spanish was a step for me to go into pre-law, and that also motivated me to take psychology and political science as my minors.”
During the summer after her freshman year, Salazar participated in the Duke in Spain study abroad program.
“I had never been outside the North American continent before,” she said. “It was a great opportunity to see a different culture—especially one that had a lot of influence in my upbringing as a Latina.”
Salazar is currently working on a senior thesis under the guidance of Richard Rosa, chair of Romance Studies and associate professor of Spanish & Latin American studies. By combining her academic disciplines, Salazar is focusing on Latino students living in th United States.
“My focus is on students raised in traditional households, growing up with parents who are first-generation immigrants,” she said. She will compare between students who were raised in rural towns versus those who were raised in a city with more access to formal education.
Salazar enhances what she learns in the classroom through her involvement with Mi Gente, Duke’s Latino student organization. This year she is the political affairs chair of the group.
After graduation, Salazar said she wants to take a year off before attending law school. She is hoping to eventually go into a career in immigration law.
Department of Romance Studies
