Jaret Waters is a 2020-2021 FLAS fellow studying Portuguese.

"After having studied Spanish for several years, I realized that, despite having learned so much about Latin America, I knew very little about Brazil. After going to Brazil for the first time, I absolutely fell in love with the country; beyond feeling incredibly welcomed and at home there, I was struck by the sociopolitical parallels between the US and Brazil. Learning Portuguese has not only allowed me to build lifelong connections with Brazilians that I have met here and abroad, but it has also given me a broader perspective on several issues throughout the Americas.

After graduating, I would like to spend some time working or possibly studying in South America (Brazil and Colombia, in particular) for a couple of years. Following this, I would like to return to the US to work in a think tank or advocacy organization focused on US foreign policy towards Latin America."