Luigi Mendez

I am a first year Ph.D. student in Political Science at UNC, Chapel Hill. I was born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela, a city that has deeply influenced me both personally and academically. Growing up in Caracas introduced me to political and social dilemmas that have remained with me ever since—social polarization, staggering levels of violence, and volatile economic conditions. This, in part, inspired me to study political science, and to become interested in topics such as democratization and authoritarianism, populism, and criminal violence. When I was 17, I moved to Pune, India, to study at the Mahindra UWC, where I lived and learned with a uniquely diverse group of students. After UWC, I studied at Colorado College (CC), which provided several exciting opportunities to explore my academic interests. At CC, I participated in faculty-student research on city sustainability; studied for a semester abroad at SOAS, University of London; travelled to rural Costa Rica to explore the socioeconomic and environmental effects of globalization; and even participated in a theater workshop on “the Art of Insurgency” in Serbia. To the SPP, I bring a perspective grounded in democracy, multiculturalism, development, and environmentalism, and many stories to share with my peers about my life, research, and interests.