A multicultural journey

Life hasn't been easy but I'm tremendously privileged. This is a summary of my journey so far, quite a rollercoaster, but enjoying every moment!

Too long to read? Go all the way down then.

HOME

I was born and raised in Caballito, right in the heart of Buenos Aires. I had a humble childhood and went to public school until I graduated in 2006. I had relatives in Mar del Plata (400km from BA) so I spent plenty of summers there, making it my second home. I was then looking for financial aid to study international commerce in my hometown as that major was only available in private universities (public universities are free). That's how my family and I ended up reaching out to NGOs and one of them, the Argentina Chabad Foundation had contacts with philanthropists in Iowa, USA. I was offered the possibility to study in the States, but my English wasn't perfect so it took me two years to pass the TOEFL test, a language requirement by US Universities for foreign students. In the meantime, I worked delivering pizza and then at a bilingual call center, which helped me tremendously with phonetics and pronunciation. In October 2008, I passed the test after two failed attempts (third time is a charm, right?) and I was admitted to Simpson College with a full scholarship, thanks to the generosity of the Shadur family, SC President Byrd, and other philanthropists of the Greater Des Moines Area.

STUDYING IN IOWA

I started school in the Spring semester of 2009. I did not want to wait until the Fall, I was anxious to make the big move ASAP as I had waited for two years. I was 20 by then and after all those years learning English in school I realized that I knew nothing by the time I stepped on US soil! It took me a good time to get used to the slang and phrasal verbs (I still hate them). I declared my international business major and something didn't click with me as the months went by. Once the semester ended, I was offered to "job shadow" for credits during May Term, and I had to pick a professional from any field and observe their work. For some reason I was always curious about the police and knowing its issues with the Argentinian society, I contacted the Hispanic Outreach Unit of the Des Moines Police Department, who graciously let me spend time with them. I was surprised about the impact this Unit had on the Hispanic community and I thought some of those policing initiatives could be useful back home, so I changed my major to Criminal Justice. Meeting a lot of international students also got me into diversity.

During those four years completing my BACJ, I worked with Campus Security, founded the Criminal Justice Club and presided the International Students Organization. I was very active and during the summers, I interned at local and state law enforcement agencies. I graduated in December 2012 and shortly after, I was offered a full time position as a Community Service Officer (CSO) with West Des Moines PD. I loved it there but after a year of Curricular Practice Training (CPT), my work authorization expired and such position did not meet the criteria for H1B work sponsorship, so with no legal alternatives to stay in the USA, I sadly complied with immigration laws and returned to Argentina. I was devastated but I knew things happen for a reason.

BACK IN BUENOS AIRES

A few months after my arrival, I was offered a junior Research position at a new think-tank under the structure of the BA Metropolitan Police Academy (ISSP). At the same time I got into politics and I met lots of interesting people. As the years went by, I climbed up in the hierarchical ladder and took the responsibility of overseeing the academic process police officers and firefighters undergo for promotion. After five years of losing some hair and getting disappointed over the public administration, I moved to the private sector thanks to a job I found on LinkedIn (it works!). I was hired as an Instructor at one of the largest private security companies in the world, so it was time to transform all the public safety knowledge into preventative measures for security officers. I got to travel a bit, I learned a lot about risk and I enjoyed meeting lovely people, however I had the constant need to leave Argentina for many reasons. My studies didn't end in Iowa, I continued to pursue "non-degree" courses, such as the Diploma in Forensic Sciences & Criminology, Diploma in Training for Security Managers, and a Technical degree in Urban & Port Security, where I learned the different aspects of corporate security (hotels, country clubs, airports, and so on).

In 2020 a friend of mine, who I met during my time at the Police Academy and who happens to be a professor at San Diego State University (SDSU), asked me if I wanted to be nominated by the Department for the Presidential Graduate Research Fellowship. After some thought I accepted, but I didn't get it due to a missing GRE score. A year later I was nominated again and since GRE scores were waived because of the Covid-19 pandemic, I was awarded with the Fellowship for the Masters of Science in Criminal Justice and Criminology at SDSU for Fall 2021.

SDSU: BACK IN THE STATES

Little I knew I'd be back in the States almost 10 years after getting my BA in Iowa. I had to sell everything I owned back home, quit my job and say goodbye to family and friends. I dismantled my life, and on August 2, 2021, I arrived in San Diego with two suitcases and my Dachshund, Anjuna, just weeks before turning 33. Now that I'm writing this, I realize that was one of the bravest thing I've done (in addition to getting tased when I was a CSO in West Des Moines PD).

During my first year in SDSU, I worked as a Community Assistant (CA), typically known as "RAs" or Resident Advisors, but this position oversees upper division students living in residential buildings. You may be wondering why take a job that is usually offered to undergrads? The answer is simply financial need and opportunity to make an impact in the SDSU community.. Moreover, I was a Graduate Research Assistant for the School of Public Affairs.

After a year as a Community Assistant, I was invited to apply for the Assistant Coordinator position in the Office of Housing Administration. I now oversee about 50 Desk Assistants and Security Monitors who ensure the safety of the students who live on campus. In addition to my position, I'm the Internship Assistant Coordinator for Career Services.

As 2023 progresses, I'm starting my capstone project on fear of crime among SDSU students and partner up with different agencies to improve the negative perception.

Thanks for reading and getting to know me!

JUST FOR FUN

Here's a little map of all the places that I've been to (some cities within a country were omitted as to not overcrowd the map with pins).

Have you been to any of these sites? Need advice on a certain city? Just ask me and I'll help you out!

Green: visited.

Red: Fav places.

Blue: Where I lived.

Too long to ready?

Then here's a brief summary: I'm a Porteño who got lucky and got a fully scholarship to study Criminal Justice in Iowa, USA. After spending 5 years there, I returned to Argentina and worked in public safety and private security. A few years later, I was offered another scholarship for the Master of Science in Criminal Justice & Criminology at San Diego State University. And here I am now, living the California life with my dog Anjuna!

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