Alex

I was born in Miami, Florida but was raised in Washington DC. My mom is Panamanian and my dad is American, so I grew up speaking English with my dad and Spanish with my mom. (I also thought I was fluent in French before I came to Paris and realized, nope, I’m not.) I did the rounds of universities, including McGill in Montreal, Canada and George Washington University in DC. While completing a year abroad at King’s College in London, I visited a friend who was going to school in Paris. We went to an event at Shakespeare & Company, where an AUP alum, Emma Ramadan (’14), was discussing her translation of Anne Garréta’s first novel, Sphinx. Her descriptions of AUP’s literature faculty led me to research the school, apply, and of course, stay.

I’ve always been passionate about literature and writing and with the help of Professor Geoff Gilbert, I’ve been able to create a schedule that allows me to take classes that combine those interests. I feel grateful to the many inspiring and supportive professors who are truly invested in their students and in what they teach, and I feel especially lucky to have the encouragement of my advisor, Professor Siân Dafydd, who has been closely working with me on the novel that I’m now writing. 

AUP has been the perfect way to finish my undergraduate studies. It’s a small school, with an extremely diverse community, which lets you meet and collaborate with classmates and friends from all over the world. Studying Samuel Beckett’s work with Beckett expert, Professor Dan Gunn, before seeing Waiting for Godot at the Bouffes du Nord theater with my classmates, Skype-ing with the translators of Man Booker Prize-winning books, listening to Man Booker International Prize winner Han Kang speak about her novel, The Vegetarian, in Professor Daniel Medin’s Contemporary World Literature class—these are the kinds of experiences that could only happen here.

This summer, along with my novel, I’ll be interning at Women’s Wear Daily, before attending a Creative Writing graduate program in the fall. There’s no question in my mind that the endless opportunities for literary inspiration in and out of the classroom, including events around the city (many of which are free!), have all come together to shape me as a writer and a person.