People tend not to notice the important role that reading literature can do for an individual or a community. Often, we see reading as simply another entertainment choice, just an idle pleasure to while away the time. 

I began my work as an Undergraduate Research Fellow for The Humanities Collaborative at EPCC-UTEP in The University of Texas at El Paso's Centennial Museum and Chihuahuan Desert Gardens in March 2018, which coincidentally also marked the commencement of my first official job in my life.  The entire transition of having this new responsibility gave me a jittery feeling in my stomach—the product of nerves, excitement, and the fact that I had finally reached adulthood.

One of the greatest experiences being a Master's Research Fellow for The Humanities Collaborative at EPCC-UTEP was organizing our first student conference for UTEP and EPCC students, which we titled Discovering the Humanities.

As I wrap up my experience as an Undergraduate Research Intern with The Humanities Collaborative at EPCC-UTEP, it’s crucial that I take a moment to reflect on my experiences throughout the years.

It's funny what food reveals about who were and who we are.  It's even funnier to realize how a humanities research project can have the capacity to reveal this basic truth that we rarely think about.