LALS Minor Julia McClean is completing a most coherent course of study at Loyola

Julia McClean '20 knew before she came to Loyola that she was interested in Latin America and wanted to study abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Planning ahead, she made appropriate decisions planning her academic program to get there.

In Julia’s sophomore year, she took HS108: Making of the Modern World: Latin America and SN104: Intermediate Spanish II for the core. The foundation for Julia’s multifaceted program of study at Loyola was established and she declared two majors, one in Global Studies, one in Spanish. Julia has continued with Spanish and Global Studies throughout her time at Loyola. In the Spring of 2019, her junior year, Julia’s dream came true and she went to the Paris of the South, Buenos Aires, Argentina, where she took a wide variety of courses ranging from Advanced Spanish to Urban Inequities in Latin America, Argentine Political History, Argentine Literature, and others. Upon returning to campus, Julia took a course on the modernista poets in the Modern Languages and Literatures Department, Global Inequities in the Sociology Department, Development Economics in the Economics Department, International and Comparative Politics in the Political Science Department, and Violence and Holiness in Twentieth Century El Salvador in the Theology Department. Julia’s love for the world scene and for Latin America caused her to take so many courses in these areas that recently, in her senior year, it became clear she also qualified, on top of her Spanish and Global Studies majors, for a minor in Latin American and Latino Studies. Two majors and a minor! And this, on top of the great work she has been doing at the Center for Community, Service, and Justice. 

After all this planning, Julia has decided to add a healthy dimension and for spring break, she went to Panama for a Yoga retreat, garnering experience in another country and in yet another field. Julia McClean is an extremely focused young woman working toward her goals from a variety of different interdisciplinary perspectives. With Julia’s Global Studies and Spanish majors as well as her minor in Latin American and Latino Studies minor, and her commitment to diverse communities, we know she will do remarkable things after graduating. Watch out world!