Students

First-Generation College Student Discovers Her Passions at the University of Puget Sound

Angela Ronces-Cortes ’24 charted her own path combining her interests in music and humanities

Growing up, Angela Ronces-Cortes ’24 didn’t have a roadmap for getting into college. The daughter of immigrants, Ronces-Cortes knew she was interested in pursuing higher education, but wasn’t quite sure where to begin. All she knew for sure was that she wanted to go away to college and that some of her friends in her high school orchestra were thinking of applying to the School of Music at the University of Puget Sound.

“It was very hard doing all the research and applications by myself, like filling out the FAFSA and telling my parents how much I would have to pay,” Ronces-Cortes recalls. “All of it was completely new and daunting, but I was determined to go to college.”

Angela Ronces-Cortes ’24 outside Wyatt Hall on a fall day.

Angela Ronces-Cortes ’24 changed her major after taking a class in Latin American Studies—sparking a lifelong interest in studying the diverse region.

An avid cello player, Ronces-Cortes auditioned and was accepted into Puget Sound’s prestigious music program. She also received a Presser Undergraduate Scholar Award to lower the cost of attendance.

As the oldest of five children, Ronces-Cortes had to grow up quickly and was used to taking care of herself and others. During her final year of high school, when classes moved to Zoom due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she had to balance family obligations with her academics, watching her youngest sibling in between online class discussions and homework. By the time she had completed her first year remotely at Puget Sound, she was ready to leave home and embark on a new adventure

“Finally getting to be on campus was amazing. For the first time, I had the freedom to explore, have fun, and learn about myself.”

Ronces-Cortes started off as a music major and was considering studying music composition, but she quickly found that she missed the social sciences. Increasingly, she was drawn to courses in the humanities—and two classes in particular changed the entire course of her college career

“Spring semester of my first year, I took a Latin American studies class with Monica DeHart and a musicology class with Gwynne Brown, which combined music and humanities. I hadn’t realized until then how much I missed using that part of my brain. It was awesome seeing the connections between each subject. I knew I needed to switch paths.”

Angela Ronces-Cortes ’24 in front a mural of faces in Mexico City.

Angela Ronces-Cortes ’24 visited Mexico City on a class trip to explore the city's art and history.

Ronces-Cortes became a double major in Latina/o studies and music to pursue both areas of interest. Later, she added a minor in Latin American studies and an emphasis in interdisciplinary humanities with a focus on race and ethnicity. Her broader lens provided an opportunity to dip her toe in multiple fields, from Spanish language to African American studies to sociology. Each discipline, she found, was in conversation with the rest, adding a new layer of context to her understanding of the world.

In addition to her studies, Ronces-Cortes stayed busy outside of the classroom, working two campus jobs as a student coordinator with the Community Music program and as a peer advisor, serving on the Music Student Advisory Committee, playing cello in the Puget Sound Symphony Orchestra, and participating in the Summer Research program. During her undergraduate years, she consistently appeared on the Dean’s List and applied to the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, for which she was named a semi-finalist.

My love of learning really flourished here.

“In the time I’ve known Angela, I’ve witnessed her attain a level of personal growth, confidence, and knowledge that I consider to be the epitome of what we want a Puget Sound education to foster in our students,” says Director of Community Music Kristen Murphy ’88.

Ronces-Cortes kept herself so busy with a full course load, jobs, and extracurriculars, she almost wasn’t able to study abroad, something she didn’t realize she wanted to do until the application deadline was past. Undeterred, she took a Latin American studies class over the summer that was co-taught by Professor of Hispanic Studies Brendan Lanctot and Professor of Philosophy Ariela Tubert that included a three-week trip to Buenos Aires, Argentina.

“I was so nervous, because it was my first time traveling outside of North America. It was definitely out of my comfort zone, but I loved the course and I loved learning about Argentina,” Ronces-Cortes says. “It was that course that made me realize that I really like studying Latin America and I want to dedicate my life to it.”

Angela Ronces-Cortes ’24 in front of the Casa Rosada in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Angela Ronces-Cortes ’24 in front of the Casa Rosada during a summer class trip to Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Ronces-Cortes has big plans for life after Puget Sound. With her bachelor’s degree in hand, she plans to apply to Ph.D. programs in Latin American studies with goal of becoming a professor so she can share her enthusiasm about the subject with future generations of students.

“I feel like my educational experience is a good example of what you get at a liberal arts school like Puget Sound. My love of learning really flourished here,” Ronces-Cortes says. “The best part of going here has been the chance to learn so many things I never would’ve been exposed to at some other school. That’s the part I’m going to miss the most.”

Now that she’s graduated, Ronces-Cortes has one more Puget Sound experience left: a weeklong trip to Mexico with her Revolution in Latin America class. It’s the perfect ending—and the perfect beginning for all that lies ahead.

Angela Ronces-Cortes ’24 celebrates her graduation with faculty members Brendan Lanctot (left), Jairo Hoyos Galvis (second from left), and Pepa Lago-Grana (right).

Angela Ronces-Cortes ’24 celebrates her graduation with professors Brendan Lanctot (left), Jairo Hoyos-Galvis (second from left), and Pepa Lago-Grana (right).

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