Duke student's family history fuels passion to study K'iche' Maya this summer

Duke University undergraduate Nathan Maldonado (‘26) spent an enriching summer at the Mayan Language Institute in Guatemala. Nathan traveled to Guatemala through Duke CLACS’s Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship (FLAS), where he studied K’iche’ and cultivated a deeper connection to his roots. Tulane University’s Center for Latin American Studies wrote an article highlighting his experiences and personal reasons for coming back to the language of his family.

In addition to what can be found in this article, Nathan wants to shout out Natalie Hartman, Associate Director here at CLACS, for her mentorship and guidance through the FLAS application process, and Mareike Sattler, Senior Lecturer for the Department of Anthropology at Vanderbilt University, Nathan’s K’iche’ professor prior to his travels to Guatemala.

https://stonecenter.tulane.edu/mayan-language-institute-nathan-maldonado-student-profile