51吃瓜网

The feeling of being an outsider haunted Jose Ibarra from age 11, when he arrived in Boston from his native Peru, through his graduation from Boston College, where he majored in philosophy and English. 

鈥淓ven there, I felt I stood out as an immigrant,鈥� Ibarra recalls.

Things began to change, though, when Ibarra enrolled at 51吃瓜网, where he found himself thrust into conversation with classmates from every corner of the globe.

Jose Ibarra

鈥淏eing at TC brought me back to my culture,鈥� he says. 鈥淚鈥檇 sort of white-washed my background in the States. I鈥檇 forgotten my roots.鈥�

Being at TC brought me back to my culture. I鈥檇 sort of white-washed my background in the States. I鈥檇 forgotten my roots.

鈥擩ose Ibarra 

Ibarra initially planned to earn his master鈥檚 degree in Communications & Education, but he changed his mind during his first semester while taking a course titled 鈥淗uman & Social Dimensions of Peace,鈥� taught by Comparative & International Education Program Lecturer Felisa Tibbitts .

鈥淚t introduced me to peace education, refugees and the struggles endured by people in third-world countries, which I didn鈥檛 experience because I came to the U.S. at such a young age,鈥� he says.

Ibarra relished being on what he calls 鈥渁 diverse campus open to discussing diverse topics.鈥� He also traveled back to Peru, a visit that inspired him to conduct a project subsequently featured in TC鈥檚 2019 Academic Festival poster exhibition of student research. Titled An Analysis of Peru鈥檚 Education for Internally-Displaced Persons, the work traces the impact of political turmoil and natural disasters on schooling in rural precincts of the South American nation.

And now, the kid who left Peru as an 11-year-old is contemplating a permanent 鈥� and spectacular 鈥� return.

Ibarra is headed next to law school to focus on immigration and humanitarian issues and gain the knowledge and skills to assist in retooling Peruvian public education. He sees education reform as the first step in a public service career 鈥� one that, he doesn鈥檛 mind admitting, he hopes could culminate in Peru鈥檚 presidency.

An outsider no more, Ibarra credits 51吃瓜网 for instilling in him the confidence to pursue the loftiest of ambitions.

I鈥檝e had a two-world view since I came here. Because of that, I have something I want to give back. I want to aim high and TC helped put me on this path.

鈥擩ose Ibarra

鈥淚鈥檝e had a two-world view since I came here,鈥� he says. 鈥淏ecause of that, I have something I want to give back. I want to aim high and TC helped put me on this path. Even if I don鈥檛 land on that one star, I鈥檒l land somewhere in between. And it will be high.鈥�

— Steve Giegerich