Universidad Iberoamericana 2023

Are you interested in studying abroad with the Masters in Migration Studies Program at USF? Two MIMS students from Cohort 7, Leticia Morales and Raúl Rodriguez Gaytan, are spending their Spring term of 2023 studying at the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City! Ibero and USF partner together to offer shared curriculum in migration studies for those interested in learning abroad. These students have moved over 2,000 miles away to experience new places and people, celebrate local customs and traditions and appreciate the rich history and culture of Latin America.

Leticia says, “I feel a great privilege in being able to study for a semester at the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City. It has filled me with immense gratitude to be able to return, for an extended period of time, to the country where my own parents migrated from. Although I felt that this move would be a big, stressful change, the hospitality of Mexican people has made the adjustment process so much easier than I expected! In such a huge city, there are endless things to do and eat, and our classmates from Ibero have been great guides and companions for exploring the city. 

Immersing myself in a classroom setting where much of the dialogue and readings are completely in Spanish has been a great learning experience for me, even as a native Spanish speaker. I literally feel like I am learning 1,000 new things a day. The wonderful thing is that there is a lot of room for collaboration and flexibility in the classroom so that this change is not so difficult. I highly recommend that USF MIMS students take advantage of this amazing opportunity to deepen their understanding of migration in a country with a long, rich culture of migration!”

Moreover, Raúl shares, “I remember entering the USCIS field office in San Francisco nervous that my advance parole application would not be approved to study abroad in Mexico. However, things ended up working out and here I am attending school at the Iberoamericana University in Mexico City for a full semester. It’s been a great experience getting to know the city where I was born. In 2021, I was able to return for the first time in 23 years. After that first time back I was motivated to be able to seek opportunities that can allow me to return with Advance Parole.

Thanks to the USF and IBERO student exchange program, I can be here completing course work for the masters program while studying abroad. This first month has been about adjusting to life here in Mexico and it has been a beautiful experience. My classmates are all from diverse backgrounds and have been welcoming. The Ibero has a great campus, and while my commute is a lengthy (3 hours), it’s all worth it to be able to experience this. I am also happy to stay with family here in Mexico City but I will also have the opportunity to visit family in Oaxaca, Mexico throughout the semester. I look forward to being able to continue learning from my courses, my peers and professors here at la Ibero as a grad student and personally as a Mexican national and DACA recipient.”

We are all so excited to live vicariously through their milestones in Mexico City and wish them the best of luck on their adventure abroad representing the MIMS program!

For more information on the Universidad Iberoamericana click here.