PORTADA
UNIVERSITY OF
NOTRE DAME CENTRAL AMERICA
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TABLE OF CONTENTS 03 STUDENT PROFILES
09 ALUMNI PROFILES
NOTRE DAME | CENTRAL AMERICA
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STUDENT PROFILES
Jorge Daura
Daniel Vivas
Alfredo Duarte
Sebastien Alvarado
Karina Chamorro
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STUDENT PROFILES
I chose Notre Dame for three reasons. First, because the education is one of the best in the nation and it would allow me to learn about what I love with the help of many great scholars; second, because of its Catholic identity, it would allow me to continue practicing my religion away from home; and third, because I wanted to experience the rich culture and traditions that Notre Dame has throughout the world.
JORGE DAURA SAN SALVADOR, EL SALVADOR CLASS OF 2018 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE SUSTAINABILITY MINOR
Through Notre Dame, I have been involved in many student activities. For example, I worked at the Student Union Board, where we brought fun activities such as concerts and movie showings to campus. In addition, I’m currently part of the Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN), where we study different regions and come up with models and policies to reduce environmental change. Lastly, I was a student manager for the football team, helping coordinate practices and games every week. My favorite experience at Notre Dame has been the opportunities it has given me to travel the world. I was able to travel to South Africa and the Galapagos through their study abroad program. Both programs expanded my horizons and allowed me to grow as a person and as a student. I never thought I would find myself exploring these corners of the world. Most importantly, these experiences enabled me to create friendships that will last a lifetime.
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STUDENT PROFILES
I chose Notre Dame because I felt it was the perfect mix between excellent academics and sports. At Notre Dame, I can be challenged academically every day and get involved in sports, both by watching the University’s sports teams and by participating in several student leagues.
DANIEL VIVAS SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA CLASS OF 2018 IT MANAGEMENT
Since my first year, I have been part of the Club Tennis team, a club that I now lead in my senior year. I was proudly part of the first team in Notre Dame Club Tennis history to qualify for Nationals in Orlando, Florida. I am also part of the Information Technology Club, an organization that strives to teach underclassmen about the ITAO majors and organizes an exclusive career fair for our majors. My favorite experience at Notre Dame was definitely working for the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) in Florida. I was able to be backstage and witness how these tournaments are organized to ensure a pleasant experience for the fans and players. I even had the chance to go to a tournament in Atlanta to work with some of the best players in the world! This was an unique experience that allowed me to complete a lifelong dream of being part of the ATP.
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STUDENT PROFILES
Ever since I visited Notre Dame in high school, I knew that I belonged here. I had never felt a place like home outside of El Salvador. Everyone here made me feel comfortable and accepted. I was also really impressed with all the academic, social, and cultural opportunities at Notre Dame that would create an incredible undergraduate experience.
SEBASTIEN ALVARADO SAN SALVADOR, EL SALVADOR CLASS OF 2019 CIVIL ENGINEERING
At Notre Dame, I have furthered my education by joining several engineering and business clubs to prepare myself with more real-life experiences for my future years in the workforce. During my sophomore year, I traveled to Beijing, China, with the Student International Business Council (SIBC), a business club on campus, to participate in a competition. It was a great way to explore a new country and put to use skills that I had acquired both inside and outside of class. One of my favorite experiences at Notre Dame was leading the IBM group under the consulting division of SIBC. I was able to apply my leadership skills while learning and working alongside fellow students to come up with a strategic plan for the case that IBM assigned to us. We were able to come up with a solution that was later presented to executives from IBM in Chicago. It was great to get to know fellow students and alumni and network with talented professionals in Chicago.
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STUDENT PROFILES
Notre Dame always attracted me because of its strong undergraduate education. Additionally, it offered an excellent degree in aerospace engineering, with some of the best facilities in the country for experimental fluid dynamics. Once I visited the campus during high school, I knew this was the university that I wanted to attend.
ALFREDO DUARTE TEGUCIGALPA, HONDURAS CLASS OF 2019 AEROSPACE ENGINEERING
At Notre Dame, I have been part of the Rocketry Club, where we build rockets and compete against other schools throughout the country every year. I was also part of the Boxing Club, which fundraises thousands of dollars every year for Holy Cross missions in Bangladesh through its signature Bengal Bouts tournament. I have also had the chance to be a peer advisor and a tutor on campus, helping incoming first-year students with their academic performance. My favorite experience at Notre Dame was conducting research on campus under a Notre Dame Center for Nano Science and Technology Fellowship this past summer. In this project, I studied and developed a new type of pressure sensitive paint for applications in the fluid mechanics area. Working in a modern lab under leading faculty, and with cutting edge technology, was a truly wonderful experience that reasserted my desires of pursuing an advanced degree in the field of engineering.
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STUDENT PROFILES
When I was applying to college, I knew how Notre Dame looked in terms of stats, rankings, etc. However, it was my visit that made me chose to come here. Once here, I just felt  this was a community I could belong to. The more I learned about life at Notre Dame, the way people interact, and the opportunities available to explore, the more I wanted to become a part of this family.
KARINA CHAMORRO MANAGUA, NICARAGUA CLASS OF 2018 POLITICAL SCIENCE EDUCATION AND PEACE STUDIES MINOR
First, I have taken multiple community-based learning (CBL) classes, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder Practicum, Disability Seminar, and Youth Empowerment and Changing Urban Landscapes, which have given me the opportunity to get involved with my community and learn about making an impact in society. I have been on two week-long service learning immersions in the Appalachian region through the Center for Social Concerns, studied in Rome for a semester, and done an eight-week internship in Ho, Ghana, through the Kellogg Institute for International Studies. Being a part of the Appalachia Seminar was an unforgettable experience. The seminar prepared us for an immersion in several sites throughout the Appalachian region by exposing us to their culture, their history, and the problems they face today. After a month of weekly meetings, my group had a one-week immersion at a community in the mountains of Kentucky. I not only got to experience and see first hand the challenges the region faces in areas such as education, healthcare, nutrition, and sustainability, but I also got to engage in dialogue with people who live there. It was also a great way to bond with a motivated group of Notre Dame students.
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ALUMNI PROFILES
LUCRECIA SIMÁN
MARIA JOAQUINA MARTÍNEZ
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LUCRECIA SIMÁN CLASS OF 2017
IT MANAGEMENT CONSTITUTIONAL STUDIES MINOR
ALUMNI PROFILES
SAN SALVADOR, EL SALVADOR
WORK EXPERIENCE
I currently work at EY in the Advisory practice in New York. I have had the opportunity to work on a variety of projects for different clients, specifically in the banking, media and entertainment, healthcare, and technology industries so far. In my role, we analyze clients’ business processes and IT threats and opportunities, including financial risks such as money laundering and IT risks such as cybersecurity.
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES AND INTERNSHIPS During my time at Notre Dame, I was co-president of the Association of Latino Professionals For America (ALPFA), a network of students and professionals that helps Latinos find career opportunities and improve their networking, professional, and leadership skills. Additionally, I was a tour guide and part of the international admissions team, mainly helping organize the Hesburgh International Scholars Experience (HISE) for admitted international students. During the summers, I did an internship with EY Advisory in El Salvador and then in New York, and spent a summer studying abroad in London with Notre Dame.
FAVORITE THING ABOUT NOTRE DAME
Notre Dame is a special place for many reasons, including its school spirit, traditions, and prestige, but my favorite thing is definitely the people. Everyone–from professors, to other students, to alumni, to the cafeteria staff–is always looking out for other members of the community. Everyone I met was well-rounded, had some interesting hobby or interest, was really driven, and wanted to change the world in their own way. Even after graduation, I know that those connections with my fellow Domers will always be there.
HOW NOTRE DAME CHANGED ME
Notre Dame helped me strengthen my identity, made me more curious and passionate about the things I’m interested in and care about, and taught me of the importance of being well-rounded and always helping others in my communities. More importantly, Notre Dame changed me because of the friends and connections I made, which will stay with me for a lifetime.
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MARIA JOAQUINA MARTÍNEZ
CLASS OF 2015
ALUMNI PROFILES
FINANCE AND ECONOMICS MANAGUA, NICARAGUA
WORK EXPERIENCE
Upon graduation, I started working at Deloitte Consulting in Chicago as a business technology analyst. I was part of their Technology, Strategy, and Architecture service line, focusing on the financial services industry. I was able to participate in both implementation and assessment projects for four different banking clients. After a year of great experiences at Deloitte, I moved to Costa Rica, neighbor to my native Nicaragua, to work at a microfinance firm as a Credit Manager. In this job, I have really enjoyed the hands-on, innovative, and challenging environment.
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES AND INTERNSHIPS
While at Notre Dame, my extracurricular focus was my on-campus job. I was extremely lucky to find a job at OIT’s Learning Spaces. I started with 12 hours a week overseeing the Bond Hall Computer Cluster and then transferred to the Learning Spaces’ Debartolo Hall office. By senior year, I was working 20 hours making many wonderful friends and mentoring some of the younger employees.
FAVORITE THING ABOUT NOTRE DAME
My favorite thing about Notre Dame is definitely the spirit, that sense of pride that drives people closer. For me, this spirit was particularly present with the Latino community and with other members of my dorm. No matter what year you were in, you were part of a community, sharing in everyone’s Notre Dame stories while creating your own.
HOW NOTRE DAME CHANGED ME
At Notre Dame, you grow in so many ways–academically, professionally, and most importantly, personally. Notre Dame instills in its students a sense of identity and of responsibility toward others that transcend the four years of college. I know that all these values will follow me wherever I go and that, even sixty years from now, I will proudly call myself a Domer.
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