As the Spring 2025 semester wraps up, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to the students in my three courses this term—ANT 202: Concepts and Methods in Cultural Anthropology, ANT 280: Anthropological Perspectives of Latin America, and ANT 385: Race, Indigeneity, and Social Justice in Latin America.

In ANT 202, it was a joy to guide you through the foundational concepts and methods that define anthropological thinking. Your thoughtful engagement with fieldwork, reflexivity, and the ethics of representation brought real life and depth to the classroom. I’m especially proud of how you approached your final projects with curiosity and care.

In ANT 280, we explored how scholars in Latin America have grappled with the question of what it means to be human—and how anthropologists have attempted to understand human diversity through ethnographic research in the region. I appreciated the way you embraced the complexity of Latin America’s histories and the rich theoretical traditions that have emerged from the region. Your willingness to think with and beyond the canon was invigorating.

In ANT 385, we took on some of the most urgent and difficult questions around race, Indigeneity, and social justice in Latin America. Our conversations were critical, sometimes uncomfortable, and deeply necessary. You met these challenges with insight, empathy, and a commitment to learning that moved me. Thank you for creating a space where ideas could be both rigorously challenged and generously held.

It’s been an honor to learn alongside you. Thank you for showing up week after week, bringing your perspectives, your questions, and your care. I hope you leave this semester with a renewed sense of curiosity and a few more tools for thinking about the world—and your place in it.

Wishing you all a restorative and joyful break.