Raquel Soto
2015 Fellowship Award Winner
Raquel was born and raised in Spain. After earning a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, I continued in graduate school becoming a certified Spanish Literature researcher and instructor. She currently attends Fordham University in New York City where I am pursuing a Masters in Social Work.
After years of experiencing personal difficulties in Spain, which provided her the impetus to pursue a social work career, Raquel immigrated to New York where she worked as a Spanish instructor; first, at a language school and later, at her freelance business teaching and translating Spanish. As a Spanish instructor, Raquel worked and volunteered at non-profit organizations such as Esperanza, The Legal Aid Society, and Brooklyn Defender Services. Raquel’s involvement in this environment enhanced her social justice commitment by confronting the myriad ways oppression and injustice play out.
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Maura Tyrell
2015 Fellowship Award Winner
Maura arrived in A`Indonesia in November 2015. She was a bit delayed due to room availability at the research site. The research site is quite beautiful. It is located inside the Tangkoko Nature Reserve in Sulawesi, Indonesia, just a few meters away from the beach.
On some mornings, the monkeys will walk right through camp to forage in the trees nearby. The crested macaque monkeys are one of the most charismatic monkey species, in my somewhat biased opinion. The females' social circles consist of their relatives (mothers, sisters, cousins), while the adult males are unrelated because they migrate from their natal group when they reach adulthood. Maura’s days are long, but rewarding. She has learned the names of all the adult males and females. She is really enjoying her time there. Quote, “It is so amazing to spend everyday with these monkeys.”
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