Lucía Caballero '19 Attends the American Association of Geographers Annual Meeting 

Attending American Association of Geographers (AAG) 2019 Annual Meeting was an extremely valuable experience. It gave me the opportunity to present my thesis research in front of some of my academic idols as well as engage with the discipline of Geography in an entirely new way. It happened at the perfect moment, when I was getting ready to finish my thesis but still had twenty pages to write and needed re-inspiration to power through the last few pages.

I got to discuss my research with a group of like-minded individuals who had valuable advice to give me and got me thinking in new ways. One of the Dartmouth professors on my thesis committee, Patricia Lopez, took me and my peer, Benny Adapon, who was also giving a talk on his thesis research, around the conference and introduced us to academics from all over the country. The entire Dartmouth faculty were extremely supportive and helpful throughout the entire process, and they all attended both mine and Benny's talks.

I not only got to give an independent presentation, where the author of one of my favorite books showed up, but also to speak on a panel with Professor Richard Wright and other prominent migration scholars from around the country. It was really enriching to engage with my professors in this way, as a colleague more than as a student.

I felt validated and empowered by the other geographers there, who applauded my research and encouraged me to continue with it. It made me reflect more deeply on what I want to pursue after college, because this conference made me see a future for myself in academia, which is something that I had not previously considered in depth. But seeing what the broader field of Geography is like and how much there is to do within academia was a useful way for me to ask questions and learn about the paths that others have taken to reach this point.

-Submitted by Lucía Caballero '19, Rockefeller Center Mini Grant Recipient 

The Rockefeller Center's Mini-Grants program funds registration fees for students attending conferences, as well as the costs of bringing guest speakers to Dartmouth. The views and opinions expressed here are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of the Rockefeller Center or constitute an endorsement by the Center.