Since graduating from Marshall in 2018, Carolina Hidalgo-McCabe has followed a path which led her from Massachusetts to Morocco and Capitol Hill to the White House.
Hidalgo-McCabe went to Tufts University, studying international relations and civic studies. In her freshman year, she worked with Counterpart International WomenLead Initiative.
Then, she took a gap year in Morocco to study Arabic as well as taking an internship with Civic Nation’s ALL IN Democracy Challenge, mobilizing student voters.
2020 meant a fall semester away from campus mobilizing Latino voters in South Florida for the Biden presidential campaign.
Last summer, she took an internship for Senator Elizabeth Warren.
Recently, Hidalgo-McCabe celebrated International Women’s History Month at the White House with around 15 congresswomen including Nancy Pelosi and activists like Dolores Huerta.
“As one of the youngest women in the room it was absolutely inspiring to be surrounded by such a diverse and powerful group of women,” she said. “[They] have broken barriers and moved mountains to improve the lives of women across the country and the world.”
She discussed important issues like gender equity and intersectionality with these women as they awaited First Lady Jill Biden’s speech.
“I got to sit next to a woman who writes biographies of Black women in history and one who runs a national domestic violence resource center,” she said.
To her, their interactions, and this unique experience were magical.
“To be in a room filled with some of the most powerful women in America and to see their humanity and their humility was truly a once in a lifetime experience,” she said.
Her long journey reached many locations from all over the east coast to Morocco, but her memories of Marshall remain.
“I’ve had so many amazing adventures and opportunities since leaving Marshall, and none of them were what I expected,” Hidalgo-McCabe said.
Hidalgo-McCabe said that her biggest takeaway from her years at Marshall is to reach out to people who are different from yourself, and to always be asking questions.
“Make sure you’re looking out for one another,” she said. “Think of networking as relationship building not only vertically with people above you, but horizontally with the people around you.”
From her time at Marshall she learned many lessons, including advice for all students today.
“Think about your positionality in this world and be open to your passions changing and evolving,” she said. “Finally, find ways to be centered in the community and do things that fuel your fire.”
2022-04-17