Get to know this week’s Campus Cutie, Emily Bello-Pardo!
What are your involvements on and off campus?
I am a member of Tri Sigma, President of MALOKA (the graduate student organization for Latin American and Caribbean studies). I also work on campus as a research assistant at the Latin American and Caribbean Center. In the past, I’ve also held various leadership positions within the FIU debate team, Model UN, Phi Sigma Alpha Honor Society in Political Science, Honors College program, which I did my thesis through the ARCH program. I also participated in the 2011 summer institute for Latino Public Policy in Washington, D.C and was inducted as Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society and Golden Key.
Outside of FIU, I have been a national coordinator of VotoJoven in the United States and local coordinator in Miami of VotoJoven in the United States, both roles carried on at the same time. That was in 2012 and 2013 before, during, and after the Venezuelan presidential elections. My main role for both of those positions was to facilitate the mobilization of over 8k Venezuelans from Miami to New Orleans, so that they could vote in these elections because the government closed the consulate here in Miami and relocated these voters to vote in New Orleans. With Se Habla Venezolano, we created a website and online communication platform to keep all these individuals informed of the mobilization alternatives that were available to them. In early 2012, I also had a journalism internship writing for pendulolatino.com, El Nuevo Pais and Revista Zeta. All these media outlets published my writings of Venezuelan political news and my writings were published in venEzuela. https://vimeo.com/51251632
What are your plans academically?
Nowadays, I’m focusing more on my academic career. I’m finishing my master’s degree and looking forward to pursuing a PHD. In this manner, I have been conducting research at FIU’s Latin American and Caribbean center through its marijuana research initiative about Uruguay’s legalization of cannabis for recreational use. As a result of my research in this topic, I coauthored a book chapter with my mentor Dr. Astrid Arraras that came out in December of 2014. Additionally, Dr. Arraras and I also coauthored another book chapter on the general trends of prisons in Latin America, which will come out in a book this coming April.
What has been your favorite FIU memory?
I was given the opportunity to extensively compete with the FIU debate team. I really think that I have become a better academic, activist and individual thanks to the training I obtained throughout my years at FIU debate, and in great part thanks to the several coaches I have had at FIU. As a result of my time at FIU debate, my partner and I made it to the final round of the Panamerican Universities Debate Championship in 2014, where we obtained the second overall place. Personally, I ranked as the third best speaker in the whole tournament. This has been one of my favorite memories I have had from my time at FIU because I got to compete internationally in Spanish-language debate and against some of the best debaters in the world.
Do you have any advice to share with your fellow collegiettes?
I’d say find your passion. Once you do, let serendipity take care of the rest. I have had the opportunity to do so many things in life because I have been blessed enough to find myself at the right place at the right times, yet always knowing what my passion is. Keep your eye on the ball, and somehow you will eventually find yourself getting to places and doing things you never dreamed you’d be. Finally, I’ve learned that everything happens for a reason, even if you don’t understand it at the moment. Everything reveals itself to you in due time and it’ll be one heck of a ride.