On May 1, 2025, the Institute for Latino Studies at the University of Notre Dame hosted its annual Senior Thesis Presentations, a tradition started just two years ago by alumni Nathalie Garcia and Lindsey Reina. What began with two students has grown into a rich academic celebration of eight seniors whose original research and creative projects reflect the interdisciplinary strength of Latino Studies and the lived experiences of Latino communities. With guidance from dedicated faculty mentors, each student offered a unique lens on identity, migration, community, and justice.
Melody Padilla – Dios te da licencia: How Christ Takes on the Identity of Deportees
Advised by Fr. Dan Groody (Theology, ILS Faculty Fellow), Melody Padilla explored the theological dimensions of the Mexican-American deportee identity, drawing from her time volunteering at Casa del Migrante in Tijuana. Her project argued that Christ assumes the identity of the deported, incarcerated, and rejected—urging faith communities to see migrants not as outsiders but as sacred embodiments of Christ himself.
Julie Muñoz-Segura – Untold Narratives: The Modes of Transportation in the Journeys of Child Immigrants
Under the mentorship of Dr. Francisco Robles (English, ILS Faculty Fellow), Julie Muñoz-Segura analyzed depictions of child migration in literature, memoir, documentary, and film. Focusing on the physical and emotional realities of traveling by train, bus, and on foot, she demonstrated how different media portray unaccompanied children’s journeys and argued for literature’s unparalleled ability to convey inner resilience and trauma.
Paulina Rosiles – Let’s Play Dress Up
Advised by Professor Jason Lahr (Studio Art), Paulina Rosiles created an interactive, life-size paper-doll-style self-portrait installation that explored how she performs different versions of herself through clothing. Drawing from her bicultural identity as a Mexican-American from El Paso, she invited viewers to reflect on the uniforms, expectations, and contradictions that shape daily self-presentation.
A selection of wearable elements from Paulina Rosiles’ interactive thesis project, Let’s Play Dress Up. Viewers were invited to mix and match clothing pieces to reflect the shifting identities and cultural roles the artist navigates as a Mexican-American woman.
Seniors Lluvia Gaucin, Paulina Rosiles, and Melody Padilla pictured in front of Rosiles’ senior thesis display, Let’s Play Dress Up—an interactive installation exploring identity, performance, and bicultural expression through wearable painted portraits.
Rosario Murillo – Entre Cartas y Raíces
Rosario Murillo, also advised by Professor Jason Lahr (Studio Art), reimagined the traditional Mexican game lotería as a self-portrait series, creating 16 painted cards that reflect her bicultural upbringing. Her exhibit, installed in Riley Hall, used poetry and symbolism to honor family heritage, religious tradition, and the complexities of navigating multiple cultural worlds.
“Entre Cartas y Raíces” – Rosario Murillo’s reimagined lotería series, featuring 16 hand-painted cards that explore family, identity, and bicultural heritage through a contemporary self-portrait. Displayed at Riley Hall, Notre Dame. (Credit: Rosario Murillo)
Tavin Martin – Cultural Perseverance Against Territorial Status: A Comparative Study of Identity Development and Adaptation
With guidance from Dr. Karen Richman (Latino Studies), Tavin Martin conducted fieldwork in Rapa Nui (Easter Island) and Vieques, Puerto Rico to understand how each island’s residents navigate identity under colonial and territorial frameworks. She found that stronger communal identity in Rapa Nui has fostered greater political power and land autonomy compared to the more fragmented identity dynamics in Vieques.
Tavin Martin pictured in Vieques, Puerto Rico, during fieldwork at Concerned Residents for Improvement, Inc., as part of her thesis research on identity, territorial status, and community power (Credit: Tavin Martin)
Jasmine Peña Ramirez – The Labor and Housing Market Impacts of Unauthorized Immigrants in 20 United States Metro Areas
Under the direction of Dr. Ricardo Ramírez (Political Science, ILS Faculty Fellow), Jasmine Peña Ramirez analyzed economic data to examine how changes in unauthorized immigration and naturalization rates affect labor and housing trends. Her findings challenged common assumptions, revealing that decreases in unauthorized immigrant populations did not lead to higher employment or homeownership, particularly in urban areas.
Xochitl Obispo – Chicago Students Left Behind
Mentored by Professor Steven Alvarado (Sociology, ILS Faculty Fellow), Xochitl Obispo combined personal experience with policy analysis to investigate educational inequality in the Chicago Public Schools. Using the lens of human capital theory, she explored how systemic underinvestment and selective enrollment policies perpetuate disparities, particularly for Latino and low-income students.
Paulina Harnisch – Investigating the Effect of Alternative Healthcare Practices on Clinical Medicine
Paulina Harnisch developed a project with guidance from Professor Erin McDonnell (Sociology) and support from Dr. Karen Richman (Latino Studies). Her project explored the integration of traditional healing practices—such as herbal medicine and curanderismo—into clinical healthcare, particularly in Latino communities. Through interviews and analysis, she examined how these practices both challenge and complement biomedical frameworks.
Traditional herbal teas often used in Latino households for healing. These teas were gifted to Paulina Harnisch by an interviewee during her research on alternative medicine practices in Hispanic communities. (Credit: Paulina Harnisch)
The day ended with a shared meal and celebration, celebrating the commitment of students and the support of faculty from all disciplines. Every presentation demonstrated the central mission of the Institute for Latino Studies: to place Latino voices at the center, to celebrate lived experience, and to seek scholarship that fuels social change.