A proud Chilean-American whose father emigrated from South America, Guagui (pronounced wah-wee) Vallejos ’25 has dedicated herself to promoting a sense of belonging and community among the campus Latine population. The international studies and Spanish double major from South Florida is co-president of Adelante, the College’s Latine student organization, and student co-manager of the Snowden Multicultural Center. She also serves as co-vice president of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for Student Council and co-director of A medio camino, a Spanish-language publication at the College.
These days, Vallejos is busy preparing for programming that celebrates Latine Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15), starting with a flag ceremony in Peirce Hall at noon on Fri., Sept. 13, when she and Adelante co-president Camila Jimenez Sanchez ’25 will speak. Details for additional events, including a Latin American cultural tasting, will be shared at a later date.
Besides Gambier, where is your favorite place in the world to be?
In Chile with my family. For my whole life, my family and I have traveled to Chile every year to visit my dad’s side of the family. All my cousins, aunts and uncles, and grandparents are there, so it was always super special to be there for a couple weeks every year. When I was little, my grandparents had a couple of acres with a bunch of fruit and nut trees, a massive hill to slide down, and chickens. I remember waking up to the rooster and going into the chicken coop with my brother to grab eggs for breakfast and play with the chicks. For me, Chile is home and I am always happiest when I am down there.
Why did you come to Kenyon?
I was recruited for soccer, but I chose Kenyon because when I visited on a rainy, cold November day before Thanksgiving Break, multiple students talked to me and said hello, which I hadn’t experienced on my other tours. It was clear people loved Kenyon so much that even on such a horrible day, they were happy.
Fill in the blank: My experience at Kenyon would not be the same without ______.
My friends. My closest friends and I always talk about how lucky we are that the nine of us were in the same recruiting class. There is something so special about finding your people. Whenever one of us is feeling down, someone is there to lift them back up. In our senior year, we started cooking family dinners. We always eat together normally, but now we have had the chance to cook, which has been really enjoyable. One tradition that we have is doing a rose-bud-thorn about our week or day at our dinners. The one rule is you have to have a rose but you don’t need a thorn. It’s a cute way to hear about everyone’s day. These nine girls are what make Kenyon so special to me. I also have to mention my friends that I’ve made through Adelante and my Latine friends. They make Kenyon feel like home.
What is your favorite Kenyon tradition?
Definitely Peircegiving. My friends have made it a tradition to try and get one of the rooms downstairs so we can all sit together family style. We even made place cards last year. I love it.
What Kenyon class would you love to take — again or for the first time?
I really want to take Professor Jennifer Johnson’s “Borders and Border Crossings” (SOCY 237) class in the Sociology department. A class I wish I could take again is Professor David Rowe’s “Powers, States, and Markets: The Making of Modern Social Order” (PSCI 470). I learned so much in that class and it was so interesting learning about how power and violence is so important to world systems.
If there was a soundtrack to your Kenyon experience, what song would be on repeat?
I think probably “Walking on a Dream” by Empire of the Sun or maybe “Home” by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros.
Where do you find satisfaction outside of your work?
Probably just hanging out with my friends and housemates. Or if it’s nice outside, going down to the river is always super fun!
What is something interesting that you have read recently?
I am applying to the Fulbright U.S. Student Program this year, and I just finished reading “Leaving the Atocha Station” by Ben Lerner. Lerner was a Fulbright Scholar in Spain, and the book is kind of a fictionalized version of his experience. Another book that I recently reread was “Nine Stories” by J.D. Salinger, which is a collection of his short stories. It has my favorite short story in there, “For Esmé—with Love and Squalor.” I just really love it, and it’s one that holds a lot of meaning for me.
What new skill would you like to learn?
When I was abroad in Chile, my Abuelita (Grandma) was teaching me how to knit and crochet, and I want to continue to learn and work on this new skill. I have many handmade clothes from her from when I was a baby, and I want to keep that tradition alive within my family.
What is the best piece of advice that you’ve ever been given?
The best piece of advice I’ve received was: “All we have is now.” For me, especially after this past year, I’ve learned how important it is to live in the moment and cherish the time that we have here.
The Kenyon Ten is an occasional question-and-answer feature that highlights students, faculty and staff.