Isa Calero Forero

Isa Calero Forero (they/them) is a junior majoring in International Relations with specializations in Social Development & Human Well-Being and Africa. Isa spoke with us about how they became interested in IR, their academic and professional interests, and starting their IR Honors program journey!

What sparked your interest in IR?

One of the reasons I chose International Relations was because of how multidisciplinary it is, allowing me to incorporate interests and classes in many different departments, ranging from anthropology to urban studies. Also, my favorite part of the major was studying abroad in Cape Town, and would strongly recommend it!

What are your primary academic and professional interests?

I am very interested in Latin American Studies, and have been involved in research on gender based violence in Mexico with the Poverty, Violence, and Governance Lab here at Stanford, and gender based violence in Colombia with Fedesarollo, in Bogotá, Colombia. Additionally, last summer, I interned at OutRight International, the only US-based LGBTIQ organization which has consultative status at the United Nations, and the Secretariat of the UN LGBTI Core Group. This experience affirmed my interest in international relations, particularly in the role of civil society in multilateral systems, and in the defense of human rights.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with the IR community?

Now I am beginning to prepare to write an IR Honors Thesis, about the Anti-Gender movement in the peace process in Colombia.