Manila, Philippines

1st Year

An established professional singer in the Philippines, Anna had performed in music theater and television since the age of 9. At Sarah Lawrence, she chose to focus on music over theatre, and in her first year met the voice professor who would be instrumental in her education. "I basically found my second mother," she says.

In her First-Year Studies course on postcolonial literature, Anna compared her own experience of Philippine society with that depicted in the book Dog Eaters. "Since then," she says, "every single conference paper I’ve done has had some relation to the Philippines."

2nd Year

During sophomore year, while continuing her music study, Anna took a linguistic anthropology course—which gave her the means to examine barriers of language and dialect in Philippine education. "I looked at the problems that arise with the 199 different dialects," she says.

"It was wonderful to come here, to write my papers, get criticism and praise, and know that it was all on my own. [People aren’t] looking at anything I was known for or that I did in the past."

3rd Year

Although it was outide what she thought her interests were, Anna heard an economics professor talk about his course and decided to give it a try. "It was quite wonderful," she says. "Here they present all economic theories and ask us to question the assumptions of every theory." She has been interested in economic development ever since, and plans to work in economic and social development when she returns to the Philippines.

4th Year

Anna has spent much time in her senior year, both inside and outside her Political Economics of the Environment class, talking with her professor about developing countries. And she describes another class—The Political Ecology of Development—as life-changing. "I definitely have learned a lot from all the other students in that class, and especially my professor," she says. "One thing in particular: you cannot stay in your comfort zone."

Sample Courses

First-Year Studies: Representing Themselves: Postcolonial Culture and Politics
Breathing Coordination for the Performer Seminar in Vocal Performance
Introduction to Economic Theory and Policy
Introduction to Development Studies: The Political Ecology of Development
Character Development for Singers

Extracurricular Involvement:

Member, APICAD (Asian Pacific Islander student group)
Research assistant to voice professor
Member, Subcommittee on Diversity, Student Life Committee