Tell us about your international journey: where have you lived? Where is home for you?
I was born in Virginia but moved to Switzerland when I was 3 years old. I lived in Geneva, Switzerland pretty much my whole life until moving here for college. I've been blessed with the opportunity to come from different international backgrounds since my father is Peruvian and my mother is German, so I've been a part of many different cultures. I've always felt that Switzerland was my home since that's where I grew up most of my life, but I'd say Germany has quite a close touch to my heart because my family and I would always celebrate all the German traditions at home.
How did you learn about Sarah Lawrence?
I'd heard of Sarah Lawrence before because of certain noticeable film alumni who'd attended, such as Jordan Peele, J. J. Abrams, and Jon Avnet. But the first time I truly considered attending was when I was contacted by the Sarah Lawrence men's soccer head coach, Evan Brandsdorfer, who presented me with the opportunity to play soccer while pursuing an education in filmmaking.
How would you describe your SLC experience so far?
So far my experience at SLC has been great and what I'd hoped for from my first year here. I got to make so many new friends very quickly, two of which even flew back with me to Switzerland over the summer to shoot a film with me!
What are some of your favorite things to do at SLC? Where are some of your favorite places to go off campus?
Some of my favorite things to do at SLC include working on other students' film projects and doing my own projects. I also enjoy playing piano in the music room in my free time and going to the gym at the sports center. Outside of SLC, I frequently went with friends to the Cross County mall only a 10-minute walk from campus to eat or watch a movie at the cinema there. I'd also occasionally go to Bronxville because it's a nice little town and very calm if you're just trying to have a chill night out. And I of course enjoyed taking the train to Manhattan to do all sorts of fun things with friends.
What advice do you have for international students applying to SLC?
The biggest advice I could have for international students is to be open-minded. From my own experience as an international student, many students outside the US may not be used to the progressive nature that the SLC community has, since, in many parts of the world, the values and ideals are very different and maybe not as accepting to change. Being open-minded will help a lot with adapting to the way of life at SLC.
Similarly, what is something that people may not know about your home country?
In Switzerland, there are 4 national languages: French, German, Italian, and Romansch.
