Princeton in Latin America

In the Fall of 2002, an enthusiastic group of students, alumni, and faculty launched Princeton in Latin America (PiLA) as an independent non-profit organization dedicated to extending Princeton’s informal motto to the Latin American region. Daniel Pastor ’03 and Allen Taylor ’03 were instrumental in the creation of PiLA during their senior year at Princeton. Their vision was to create a thriving fellowship organization in the tradition of Princeton in Asia (PiA) and Princeton in Africa (PiAf) Through seed funding from the Program in Latin American Studies, the Woodrow Wilson School, and the Class of 1969 Community Service Fund, PiLA was able to place two members of the Class of 2003 in yearlong fellowships. As other dedicated individuals have joined the ranks of supporters, PiLA has continued to grow and recently sent its fourth class of fellows into the field. PiLA opens the doors to career paths, personal enrichment, and understanding service as an effective way to address social needs. A year devoted to service work offers students an extraordinary opportunity to become familiar with a region experiencing significant development. PiLA fellowships enable students to extend the benefits of a Princeton education beyond the classroom and join a group of motivated citizens with a lifelong commitment to Latin America. In the spirit of Princeton's informal motto "In the Nation's service and the service of all Nations," the work of these graduates supports efforts to overcome the region’s educational, economic, and environmental barriers to development.