I hail from sunny, Los Angeles, California. After a brief childhood spent helping my busy parents raise my three siblings (Omar, Ulysses, and Karina), I moved slightly north to Stanford University for my undergraduate degree. There, I explored budding interests in literature, law, art history, and Italian language and culture, receiving a B.A. in English in 2005. Following an early inclination toward a life in the law, I took a summer internship at the San Francisco Public Defender and a post-undergrad job working at a small litigation consulting firm in San Francisco for two years. During that time, I quickly realized that my love for literature and criticism didn't wane since leaving college, so I decided to redirect my course and relocated to Princeton to pursue a PhD in English Literature. Some of my specific research interests include 18th and 19th century British literature and culture, poetry & poetics, aesthetics, convergences between literature, technology & science. I've carried many of my hobbies across the country including marathon running, poetry, cinema & film theory, and involvement in the Latino community and its various politics. I'm looking forward to meeting many new--and reconnecting with returning--Whitmanites this year!