Jessica Wax-Edwards's Report

In May 2016 I was lucky enough to be able to attend the Latin American Studies Association's (LASA) 50th anniversary conference held in New York City. LASA is  the largest professional Association in the world for individuals and institutions engaged in the study of Latin America and as such provided me the incredible opportunity to interact with academics currently researching, writing and working in my field. The conference was an intense four days comprising more than one thousand panels and thousands of speakers and delegates. There were papers and events from 8am every morning until late into the evening with the chance to catch up with colleagues and meet new contacts before during and after. I relished every chance to engage with members of the LASA community and was proud to attend such a prestigious conference not only as a student and researcher but equally as a presenter on a panel with my supervisor and colleagues.

After arriving in New York City at midnight and settling in to my accommodation, I awoke around 5am the next morning to make sure I was there bright and early for registration and the first panel at 8am - I was staying quite far from the conference location in Midtown. Although I was exhausted from travel, the conference experience and panels did not disappoint and I was buzzing with positivity from this amazing convocation of Latin Americanists. After two full days of attending panels, I was suitably prepared, and nervous, for my presentation that afternoon. This was my first international conference and, in my third year of Ph.D. study, it provided a crucial opportunity for me to present my work to an audience closely acquainted with my field of study and capable of providing essential feedback on my findings. The questions and reactions my paper received allowed me to reassess my approach and were truly valuable to my academic progress. Similarly, the chance to present to a room of academics whose work I had read felt immensely rewarding and allowed me to feel like a participant and member of the community in a pathway that often requires months of solitary study.

Another incredible aspect of attending the conference was that it enabled me to attend relevant papers of other Mexicanists working in my field. I have never been to a conference where so many interesting papers pertinent to my work are on offer and it was an absurd privilege that I would like to believe I made the most of. Though the 8am papers tended to be unpopular, I made sure I was there every day and was often forced to choose between two or three equally interesting panel prospects. As such, I saw a wide variety of the research currently being conducted in my field and was able to talk to the presenters, pose questions and discuss my own work with them - often leading to very productive and interesting conversations that have helped me to locate my own work within current academic output.

I cannot express enough how much I enjoyed attending and presenting at the LASA conference and how beneficial it has been to my work, both current and future, and my mind-set at this crucial time in my doctorate. I am extremely grateful to the Santander fund for enabling me to have this unique experience which has enriched my research and added depth to my current work.