From Page Scholar to Fulbright Scholar:

Kristell Caballero-Saucedo

"The responsibility to be a role model to younger students of color is something I continuously think about.”

Senior Page Scholar Kristell Caballero-Saucedo was recently awarded a Fulbright Scholarship and will spend next year researching Afro-Mexicans and political activism in Oaxaca, Mexico. Kristell will study the Afro-Mexican's movement to gain national recognition and basic human rights that will improve their quality of life. "The story of African heritage is not talked about in Mexico," she says, "and little scholarly literature focuses on the political activism of the Afro-Mexican communities."

Kristell is a leader on the St. Olaf campus. She’s involved in the Student Government Association, the Women’s Track and Field team, and Presente!—the Latino and Hispanic student organization. She volunteers with the Educational Talent Search mentoring program as part of her Service-to-Children project, and says “Being a mentor to young students motivates me to give my best at everything I do. The responsibility to be a role model to younger students of color is something I continuously think about.” A Spanish and Political Science major, Kristell excels in the classroom and plans to study Latin American Politics and Human Rights in graduate school.

Through Page Connections, a program that matches Page Scholars with professionals in their chosen field, Kristell is grateful for the guidance from her mentor, local lawyer Bill Hittler. “He shared the opportunity of a Fulbright scholarship with me and encouraged me to apply,” she says. As a Page Scholar, Kristell has visited a law firm and a Minnesota district court, job shadowed lawyers, and determined her career path in political science research. She says, “I’m really thankful for receiving the Page Scholarship, because the money has helped my family a lot. I can be less nervous about how I am supposed to pay for my higher education. It has made college possible and affordable.”

Congratulations on this incredible accomplishment, Kristell!

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