My day gets pretty hectic and it isn’t just about this research project. I actually have 3 jobs, as well as part of ALMA Core (Assisting Latinx Students to Maximize Achievement) to help plan an orientation for incoming Latinx students.
I usually wake up to do my first job as a Summer Conference Assistant at West Quad, where it is my job to help the conferences run smoothly as possible. The job entails working at the community center and package room waiting for whoever needs something. The pay off is pretty good since I get free housing and a meal plan.
Once that job is done, I usually put in a few hours for my research on Nuclear detectors. Unlike many in this program, who study more humanities based majors, I am actually a Nuclear Engineering student. This research really helps me see that I truly want to do with my career and lets me have a hands on approach.
With the given career choice, it may seem weird that I am doing this type of research at all. However, I am also a Latino and want to delve more into the cultural aspect of my identity and working on Chicana Por Mi Raza helps me get hands on experience in archiving and creating history.
As you can see below my job is to preserve the voices of Latinas by archiving their documents and oral histories. Each woman has documents full of history and every day after dinner I usually work on cleaning up the existing archive so that other people can experience their narrative.
I also have a great research team to make all of this fun even when some tasks get very repetitive.