STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: José Lemus

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: José Lemus
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: José Lemus

Name: José Lemus
Major/Minor: Global Studies & Economics with a minor in Math & Statistics
Hometown: Lincoln, Ne
Year at UNL: Senior

Favorite book and why:
My go to reading material is Sherlock Holmes. My parents gave me the series as a child, and I remember staying up all night reading the stories with my parents. I love scary movies and mystery novels, and I credit this affinity to the fond memories of reading Sherlock Holmes.

Favorite dish/food and why:
This is a hard question to answer because I love to eat. If I had to pick a dish I would probably go with my mom’s recipe for Tinga, a spicy chicken dish from Puebla, Mexico.

Why Global Studies?
I declared a Global Studies major when I entered college because it allowed me to tailor my curriculum to fit my academic interests. Global Studies gives you the freedom to explore the social sciences while pushing you to contextualize what you are learning within a global focus. Latin American Politics with Dr. Wals is one of the courses that I most enjoyed during my time at UNL because Dr. Wals blended political theory with applied research methods. I don’t think I have ever told him this, but working on the final project for Dr. Wals’ class catalyzed my interest in pursuing a career in applied economic research. I would advise new Global Studies majors to not shy away from math and statistics courses. While they may sound scary at first, being able to examine socio-political topics from an analytical perspective gives you a broader understanding of causes and effects, and aids you in constructing well-reasoned arguments.

Tell us about your study abroad/internship experience.
Last Spring I studied abroad in Bilbao, Spain. Bilbao is located at the heart of the Basque country and is not afraid to show you how different it is from the rest of Europe (picture middle earth, but with more seafood and better soccer). While I was in Bilbao I attended the University of Deusto, and studied comparative economic systems. Deusto gives students the opportunity to intern during their program, and I was fortunate enough to work as a product development intern with the firm OutreachTool. My internship allowed me to hone my marketing and research skills within an international setting. Similarly, it taught me how to develop my curriculum to be a competitive applicant within a global job market. Finally, no study abroad experience would be complete without a little travelling, and given the four-day school schedule, I was able to travel across Europe, and spent my spring break exploring the historical cities of the Iberian Peninsula.

What are you post-graduation plans?
After graduation, I will be heading out to Southeast Asia for the summer to do some backpacking with a couple of friends. I plan to look for an “adult job” when I return. Preferably within immigration policy or economic research.