An existence somewhere between “You’re not really American; you’re Hispanic” and “Vos ya no sos Argentino, sos Americano” [“You’re not Argentinian anymore; you’re American”] molded my upbringing. At the age of three, my diplomat father and artist mother brought me to the United States. A four year posting turned permanent. As a child, I was to adapt, blend in, but not get too comfortable. We were going back to Argentina anyway: “Don’t get too attached.” When my parents made the decision to stay, my worldview suddenly narrowed. It wasn’t enough to blend in, I had to belong. This was my home now. I had a group of Latino friends and a group of white friends who had never so much as left the East Coast. I’ve been playing mediator my whole life, emulating what I saw in my father. As I tried to bridge the cultural gap—inviting both groups out together and combining the lunch tables—a harsh reality set in: perspective matters and I was dealing with diametrically opposed perspectives. All of my Latino friends lived in rented homes; my white friends lived in homes their parents owned. Four of my five Latino friends received reduced lunches; my white friends drove to restaurants during lunch. I toed the line on either side and found that the only unifying factor was empathy; seeing another’s point of view and establishing effective channels of communication was the only way forward. As a first-generation college student in the U.S., I had to navigate academia on my own. My parents, while supportive, were unfamiliar with the American university system. When I first enrolled in college, financial constraints forced me to prioritize work over school. Over time, I built and sold two successful restaurants, headed a successful real estate team in New York City, and started my own brand development and communications strategy agency. These experiences taught me resilience, strategic planning, and adaptability. I returned to academia because I sought purpose beyond myself. I want to be an integral part of Columbia School of International and Public Affairs to show that an immigrant who has had the good fortune of experiencing diverse world views, participating in entrepreneurial experiments, and formed his value system in the busiest city in the world can be a catalyst for change and serve as an evangelist for the institutions and ideals we hold dear while advocating for those who most need their voices amplified. I was not born an American, but after 26 years of living in this country I have adopted the values that represent what it means to be American. Ultimately, as I finalize my path to citizenship, I intend to apply to the Foreign Service and follow in my father’s footsteps. A career in diplomacy is about perspective. It begins with seeing the perspective of others and is accelerated by creating channels of communication. My goal is to leverage my personal and professional background to expand my knowledge of U.S.-LatAm relations and engage in meaningful discourse that bridges cultural and ideological divides. I am eager to collaborate with faculty and peers who share my passion and connection to the region and to contribute my unique perspective to the global community at Columbia. I hope this scholarship will be another chapter in the story of my academic and professional development and ease the financial burden of pursuing a self-funded graduate program. Any money I am able to save will go to ensuring I can focus exclusively on my studies and internships in the field of International Relations.

An existence somewhere between “You’re not really American; you’re Hispanic” and “Vos ya no sos Argentino, sos Americano” [“You’re not Argentinian anymore; you’re American”] molded my upbringing. At the age of three, my diplomat father and artist mother brought me to the United States. A four year posting turned permanent. As a child, I was to adapt, blend in, but not get too comfortable. We were going back to Argentina anyway: “Don’t get too attached.” When my parents made the decision to stay, my worldview suddenly narrowed. It wasn’t enough to blend in, I had to belong. This was my home now. I had a group of Latino friends and a group of white friends who had never so much as left the East Coast. I’ve been playing mediator my whole life, emulating what I saw in my father. As I tried to bridge the cultural gap—inviting both groups out together and combining the lunch tables—a harsh reality set in: perspective matters and I was dealing with diametrically opposed perspectives. All of my Latino friends lived in rented homes; my white friends lived in homes their parents owned. Four of my five Latino friends received reduced lunches; my white friends drove to restaurants during lunch. I toed the line on either side and found that the only unifying factor was empathy; seeing another’s point of view and establishing effective channels of communication was the only way forward. As a first-generation college student in the U.S., I had to navigate academia on my own. My parents, while supportive, were unfamiliar with the American university system. When I first enrolled in college, financial constraints forced me to prioritize work over school. Over time, I built and sold two successful restaurants, headed a successful real estate team in New York City, and started my own brand development and communications strategy agency. These experiences taught me resilience, strategic planning, and adaptability. I returned to academia because I sought purpose beyond myself. I want to be an integral part of Columbia School of International and Public Affairs to show that an immigrant who has had the good fortune of experiencing diverse world views, participating in entrepreneurial experiments, and formed his value system in the busiest city in the world can be a catalyst for change and serve as an evangelist for the institutions and ideals we hold dear while advocating for those who most need their voices amplified. I was not born an American, but after 26 years of living in this country I have adopted the values that represent what it means to be American. Ultimately, as I finalize my path to citizenship, I intend to apply to the Foreign Service and follow in my father’s footsteps. A career in diplomacy is about perspective. It begins with seeing the perspective of others and is accelerated by creating channels of communication. My goal is to leverage my personal and professional background to expand my knowledge of U.S.-LatAm relations and engage in meaningful discourse that bridges cultural and ideological divides. I am eager to collaborate with faculty and peers who share my passion and connection to the region and to contribute my unique perspective to the global community at Columbia. I hope this scholarship will be another chapter in the story of my academic and professional development and ease the financial burden of pursuing a self-funded graduate program.