Jose Alfonso Mendez

I am currently a Political Science/History double major second year at Grinnell College. I participated in James Monroe's Academic Decathlon for three years. I am currently working in a service-learning project (pro bono) with the Iowa State Bar Association, conducting research in order to create a free legal service website for undocumented and minority people in the state of Iowa. I am working towards a career in public and/or legal services for minority and low-income groups.

Myranda Miller

I just graduated from Monroe last year. Currently, I'm at Kalamazoo College in Kalamazoo, Michigan. I haven't declared a major yet but I am hoping to double major in Business and Psychology. I am looking at studying abroad in Ecuador at the beginning of my junior year. Ideally after college, I would like to work for a social media company as a management analyst or something of that sort. Acadeca helped me the most with my confidence levels and has helped me immensely especially with different interviews and presentations I have had to do.

Maria Lopez

I am a junior and a mathematics major at Smith College. I am currently applying for Teach For America (TFA). In the near future, I want to pursue a master's degree in mathematics with the hope of becoming a math teacher and serving underrepresented students from low-income communities. I was part of Monroe’s Academic Decathlon for two years and I feel that that experience made me a more assertive public speaker. This has helped me so much here at Smith, where I have confidently given class presentations, spoken at organizational events on campus, and presented my research.

Gloria Sanchez

I am a junior at Wellesley College majoring in Political Science. I just came back from studying a semester abroad in Cordoba, Spain. This summer I will be doing research with a professor in Santiago, Chile. In the future, I want to work in some capacity that will allow me to be an advocate for my community. I loved being in Acadeca because I got to see others and myself grow throughout our time on the team. I built friendships with people who I would have otherwise never met and learned a lot about the world in the process.

Denisse Becerra

I'm a first year at Wellesley College in Massachusetts and I hope to major in Economics and Spanish. I volunteer for the Boston Refugee Youth Enrichment program and I'm also a student research assistant for the Justice and Gender-Based Violence Research Initiative at the Wellesley Centers for Women. I'm interested in learning about the social influence of economic development and I hope to someday use my knowledge to impact different communities. Joining Acadeca not only expanded my knowledge by introducing me to new subjects and experiences but also helped me appreciate the value in being pushed outside of my comfort zone.

Michael Khoury

I first joined Acadeca because a bunch of my friends were in it. I figured it would be a fun experience just to see. Then I was called on to do an impromptu speech. That's when I found out it wouldn't be as easy as I thought. I spent 3 years in Acadeca. Now I'm a student at Califronia State University, Northridge majoring in biotechnology and minoring in chemistry. I am also a pre-medical school student aspiring to become an endocrinologist. I can probably attribute my study habits mostly to the program. And if I had to change anything I would've joined a year earlier!