Jasmine Morse

MALAS
Conflict, Peace & Rights

I was born and raised in Seattle, Washington. I pursued a BS in Marine Biology at Humboldt State University in Northern California until my third year in the program when I completed an internship in Ecuador. There I realized I wanted to learn Spanish and the history of the region. English is my first language and I took American Sign Language as a foreign language in high school so I was far behind, but that didn't deter me. I returned to campus and promptly changed my major to Latin American Studies with a minor in Spanish. Since graduating in 2013, I have taught English as a second language both in Seattle and in Spain. Most recently I have been working at a day workers center in Seattle ensuring undocumented workers rights and working with a group of Latino inmates at Monroe Correctional Complex.

I have wanted to attend UNM since a road trip I went on while pursuing my undergrad. I fell in love with the Southwest because it is so vibrant and rich, it feels like another planet compared to the Pacific Northwest where I have spent most of my life. I was blown away by the depth, funding, and opportunities the MALAS program has to offer. I am interested in exploring root forces perpetuating the legacy of violence in Central America, alternatives to gang membership, rehabilitation and reentry programs and the effect of those programs on the communities they serve, and how violence affects immigration.