First-year Centre College student presents research and honors heritage at national conference

Vale Wiñay Quispe is taking advantage of opportunities that were not available to her ancestors in Bolivia. Her heritage is a point of pride for the first-year Lincoln Scholar and played a key role in her recent research presentation at a national conference. 

As a member of the indigenous Aymara and Quechua people, Wiñay Quispe wanted to connect her culture to her presentation at the Thinking Andean Studies research conference at Northwestern University by wearing traditional attire. Her clothing emphasized the importance of Indigenous voices in academia. 

"I wanted to reclaim my identity and show that as an Indigenous woman, I have a voice in academia and that I produce knowledge and theory about my own people," said Wiñay Quispe, who noted the impact colonialism had on indigenous groups in Latin America. "Neither of my grandmothers had access to education, and standing next to PhD students and professors from some of the most prestigious universities in the U.S. and the world as a first-year student was a powerful milestone. It reminded me that I can do this and that I belong." 

Her research, focusing on youth in her home country of Bolivia, earned her a presenter spot at the conference — being one of only two undergraduate researchers. The other is a senior at MIT. 

Similarly, her research is deeply personal as promoting sexual and reproductive health for marginalized and Indigenous youth in Bolivia aligns with the mission of Soy Warmi, the nonprofit she founded at 16. 

“My paper was directly connected to this work,” said Wiñay Quispe. “I wanted to connect my research with real-world impact by applying it to Soy Warmi’s future projects. I was able to bring together two things I really care about: activism and academic research.”

Her mentor, Assistant Professor of International Studies Kristen Kolenz, emphasized the significant value of this experience for Wiñay Quispe.

"Presenting at a conference as a first-year undergraduate is extraordinary," Kolenz said. "Because of her belief in her ability to contribute to scholarly conversations that are too often about marginalized communities — rather than developed in coalition with them — Vale is establishing herself early. She is building networks, connecting herself to national and international opportunities, and creating an intellectual community that will support her through her undergraduate studies and beyond."

Working with Wiñay Quispe has also proved to be a learning experience for Kolenz, who has expanded her knowledge about Indigenous groups and gender politics in Bolivia. 

Even as a first-year student, Wiñay Quispe is breaking barriers in academia while honoring and remembering her roots. She hopes this experience will have a profound impact not only on herself but also on others.

“It felt like a big moment, not just for me but as a milestone for what Centre students can do at an undergraduate level,” she said.