Juan Daniel Goncalves

SFS ’15
Age: 20
Hometown: Caracas, Venezuela
Major: International Political Economy

Compare and contrast where you’re from to Georgetown. Where do you feel most comfortable?
That’s an interesting question, because right now Venezuela is going through some difficult times. My friends and family are exposed to violent protests every day, to crime, to hyperinflation, to basic food shortages and a plethora of other problems that just do not make your life comfortable. But in the end, home is home, no matter where I am. Right now I’m most comfortable here since I’m not facing tear gas on the streets, but I hope one day to go back and be part of a generation that rebuilds home.

What has Georgetown helped you accomplish so far?
My life is so different at Georgetown. Sometimes I think about how I was back at home in high school and it is just universes apart. It’s ridiculous. Georgetown has allowed me to go to conferences, to travel, to have internships in places I never would have dreamed of working before, meeting professors who are utmost experts in their fields. It has allowed me to develop my writing, my problem-solving skills beyond imagination. I’m so happy to be here. It’s different from back home. It’s unbelievable.

Do you feel you fit in at Georgetown?
I get this question a lot because I’m not American, so there’s this whole idea of culture shock when you get here. I think it shouldn’t be that way. It’s up to you, on a personal level. If you want to become part of student groups that are not necessarily in your comfort zone, then it’s up to you to do it. Go ahead and just do it. There are so many different and diverse people here. It’s just a waste to not meet them all. Any person could change your views on life in a positive way. We’re all nice people at Georgetown so there’s no reason to not fit in. It’s up to you to try to engage.

If you could lead a protest on one thing, what would it be?
I would lead a protest against my government. Being abroad I don’t believe in protest so much, being outside of the country, but what I do believe in is spreading the word. I like to write often on what’s going on back home in English so I can have a wider audience. I write op-eds, I write blog posts, I try to share with as many people as I can. That would be my cause; that would be my movement until things change.

What are you reading right now?
I’m reading “The Brothers Karamazov” by [Fyodor] Dostoyevsky. It’s a really big book.

Interview by Kim Bussing