Conversation with the 1st J.T. May Intern

Isabela Pardo is a junior at Pomona College in Claremont, California and was the first recipient of the J. Thomas May Memorial Internship which honors the legacy of the Society’s long-serving Executive Director. Dr. May was dedicated to being an educator and mentor and continually sought opportunities to introduce young scholars to the myriad of applied social science opportunities that are available outside the walls of academia. 

Isabela spoke with Rosie May, Director of Development

RM: Could you share a bit about your educational background. When and how you became interested in the social sciences and what you’re studying now. 

IP: I grew up in Oklahoma City the daughter of two physicians. My father is from Columbia and my mother is from Oklahoma and is Chickasaw, Choctaw, and Caddo. I’m an enrolled member of the Chickasaw nation but I like to say I’m all three. From an early age, I was fascinated with other cultures and in high school, I started to explore linguistics, primarily through watching videos on YouTube and looking at constructed languages like Elvish in Lord of the Rings, as a way to look at what it takes to be a language.

Now I’m pursuing a degree in sociolinguistics—majoring in linguistics and minoring in sociology. Last year I looked at Oklahoma English as a final project. Oklahoma English has influences over time from the South, the Midwest, and people who were here before—the Indigenous people. I looked at how Oklahoma English is centered around a Southern English variable. Eventually, I’d like to look at how the Native people influenced the way Oklahomans speak now and the way migration into the state changed things. It’s not a well-researched topic. I think it’s important to explore and share this history because I’ve noticed being outside the state that people don’t understand its cultural complexity. Being Latina and Native, I feel like I bring important conversations into linguistics and sociology. 

RM: You attended your first SfAA Annual Meeting this year, could you talk about your experience?

IP: I got the opportunity to work at the registration desk and I really enjoyed seeing so many different people and learning about all the different ways they specialized in varied social sciences and all the places they came from around the world. I was excited to see what a diverse group of people came to the conference, in terms of what they studied. I attended sessions on topics that I don’t have time to study at school but found interesting and was particularly drawn in by a session and discussion on end of life care. 

I was also struck with how many students attended and I went to the student reception and found commonality in what we were all trying to figure out. It was also inspiring to see students present and I really appreciated how the conference was so open to student participation, presentations, and ideas. People wanted to make themselves available for conversations. Everything was so open and communal. Nothing was gate-kept. In one session I attended, at the conclusion people stayed around for a conversation on the research and how to move forward. Even though I feel so young, the fact that I could contribute to the discussion was very exciting. 

I went to the conference as a sophomore in college and didn’t have anything to present but still had an amazing time seeing all the things people are working on right now in the world. If a student is even slightly interested, I would highly recommend going. I was so excited after it was over that I talked my mom and sister into attending the conference next year in Santa Fe.

RM: Over the Summer of 2023, you were awarded the Tom May Internship. Could you talk about your experience working behind the scenes in the SfAA office? What projects were you given? Anything you were particularly excited about? 

IP: I knew there would be a lot of things to do preparing for a conference but being able to work on projects to create a more well-rounded cultural experience for attendees was exciting—doing research on tours and restaurants—I’m excited to see that come to fruition. I also worked on a series of projects that bring the student perspective into thinking about how we promote the Society and the conference. Thinking about how to appeal to students and get them excited about the opportunities that attending the conference offers. 

I also liked getting a sneak peek at the conference and it was amazing seeing how much work and dedication goes into the preparation and how a team that’s so small creates such a large event.