Hometown: Belleville, New Jersey

Bio: Grace Ayzanoa, from Belleville, NJ, is a first-year candidate for the Master of Arts in Latin American Studies. She graduated from Wake Forest University where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Politics & International Affairs and English, along with minoring in Latin American Studies. Aside from having a personal ethnic ties to Peru, Grace’s decision to continue her education in LAS began after she spent a semester abroad in Santiago, Chile, through Wake Forest’s Chile Across South America (CASA) program. This immersive experience sparked her interests in extractivism and resource politics. For her senior thesis, Grace explored the differences between the mining industries in Chile and Peru, examining their impacts on economic structures, the environment, and Indigenous cultural preservation. Grace is excited to become actively involved in the academic and cultural community of CLAS and the university.

Research Area — Geographic: Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Peru