Photo taken by Jack Thompson '23 during senior research project conducted in 2022 through generous funding from SPO in Amazon rainforest (state of Amazonas)
Jack's Update
"A month after graduating from Princeton in May 2023, I moved to São Paulo, Brazil under the auspices of the Labouisse Fellowship. In Brazil, I’ve been working alongside a team at IEPS (Instituto de Estudos para Políticas de Saúde)—a health policy think tank and research institute—on a project aimed at improving healthcare access and health outcomes for communities living in rural areas of the Amazon region of Brazil. The project’s focus on the Brazilian
Amazon has been particularly interesting, as the region has increasingly found itself in the global spotlight and central to conversations about climate change, sustainability, and the future.
Outside of the fellowship, I recently went to the 2024 Desfile das Campeãs at São Paulo’s Sambódromo do Anhembi—a spectacular display of color and energy that serves as a sort of grand finale to Brazilian Carnival celebrations in the city. At the event, this year’s most highly-rated samba schools all performed one final time."
Thanks to Princeton’s Department of Spanish and Portuguese, as a Princeton student, I was able to pursue my various interdisciplinary interests, combining Portuguese and Brazil-related courses with courses offered by SPIA and other departments. Throughout my four years at Princeton, my SPO professors were very supportive and always encouraged me to forge my own unique academic path.
Jack sent a message from Brazil for anyone considering a major with SPO... check out this video where he highlights the benefits for us with the backdrop of São Paulo!
More on Jack Thompson during his time at Princeton:
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Senior thesis title: Brazil and the Venezuelan Migrant Crisis: Operação Acolhida, a Portrait of the Crisis, and the Politics of Venezuelan Migration in Brazil