Humanities in Action Scholar Spotlight: Laura Garcia

In 2022, the We CU Community Engaged Scholars program, with support from the Humanities Research Institute (HRI), launched Humanities in Action (HIA), a semester-long, paid community engagement program for humanities students at the University of Illinois. HIA scholars worked with community partners across Champaign-Urbana to provide impact in real-time. HIA also provided scholars with independence to explore personal passions, gain self-management skills, and develop a sense of personal responsibility. After a successful Fall 2022 program, We CU and HRI are now accepting applications for the Fall 2023 cohort.

This week, we are shining a spotlight on Laura Garcia (she/her) and her experience as a Fall 2022 HIA scholar. Laura is a senior pursuing a major in anthropology and a minor in global studies. As a child of Mexican immigrants, she cares deeply about issues affecting her community both in the U.S. and Mexico. She leads social activities for La Colectiva and I-CAUSE, organizations that serve and advocate for immigrants and undocumented students on campus and in the Champaign-Urbana community.

As a Humanities in Action scholar, Laura worked with the Education Justice Project (EJP) as a Spanish translator for the Reentry Guide Initiative – A New Path. This guide aids individuals who face deportation to Mexico or Central America after incarceration or detention. It is also useful for anyone who lives with the threat of deportation. The passion of EJP staff impressed Laura while working on the Reentry Guide. “Their collective efforts are a reflection of the potential we have if we approach issues like deportation and incarceration from an empathetic perspective,” Laura said.

Laura also found an intersection between her academic and professional skills through her work with the Education Justice Project. As a translator, she gained both hard and soft skills that will serve her in the future. “For my future career, I have learned that bilingual skills are essential. I have also learned that I have to seek community building in all aspects of my life, not just academia and professional,” she shared.

Laura will be using these skills after graduation this spring when she starts working for the United States Army Corps of Engineers. After that, she plans to pursue a master’s degree in Anthropology at the National Autonomous University of Mexico in Mexico City.

Laura advises future HIA scholars to ask questions to clear up confusion and understand the situation. “My advice is to not be afraid of asking questions. Being comfortable with asking for help will help you establish a relationship with the community partner and form a healthy work and school balance.”

Applications for the Fall 2023 Humanities in Action program are due March 5, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. Learn more about the Humanities in Action program.