Class of 2023 Spotlight: Isabella Cuevas

"I chose to study Iran because I wanted a window into my mother's birthplace. I wanted to understand the language, become acquainted with the literature, and to above all honor my mother's story and her background," shared Isabella Cuevas, a Stanford student graduating in 2023 with a bachelor's degree in Comparative Literature and a minor in Iranian Studies. 

Isabella chose to study Comparative Literature because of her love for languages and cultures. "I am majoring in Comparative Literature because I love language-learning and finding connections (whether in visual art, literature, film, poetry, etc.) across a wide variety of cultures and countries. Additionally, I am minoring in Iranian Studies as I am proudly my mother's daughter; she is from Iran but lives in diaspora, so this program was an opportunity to know my mother's history—and my own—a bit better," she says.

One of Isabella's favorite Stanford experiences was getting to know her Persian language professor, Dr. Shervin Emami. "Not only has she taught me the Persian language from the ground up, but she's also taught me so much about identity and life and literature in general."

Congratulations, Isabella!