Sophomores spend summer studying pedagogy
Instead of taking a summer swim in the nearby Adriatic beaches, Carlos, Federico, and Francisco Valldejuly ʼ29 spent six weeks of their summer on a pedagogy deep-dive.
During their first year at Harvard, the identical triplets from Puerto Rico enrolled in Pre-Texts, an art-focused literature extracurricular course taught by Professor Doris Sommer, founder of the Cultural Agents initiative at Harvard, and Ira and Jewell Williams Professor of Romance Languages and Literatures and of African and African American Studies.
Professor Sommer and The Harvard College Summer Funding Opportunities Office connected them with the Weissman International Internship Program to become further immersed in the subject at Università degli Studi "G. d'Annunzio" Chieti – Pescara.
“When we applied to Harvard, we didn’t know we were all going to get in,” Carlos said. “It was the same for this internship; we were super happy to do this work together.”
The Valldejuly siblings were three of four interns in Pescara, Italy, and relished the opportunity to advance their understanding of pedagogy under the guidance of Professor Valeria Pica, Professor Pierluigi Sacco, and Professor Sommer in a collaborative, accepting environment that pushed them out of their comfort zone.
The program featured intellectual group discussions and artistic interpretations of texts through modes of poems, plays, and more. Though the triplets speak Italian, they were often challenged with navigating discussions with participants who spoke little English, and engaging with texts entirely in Italian.
Professor Sommer emphasized the importance of viewing the program’s objectives as “protocol”, rather than a set agenda with a predetermined outcome, hoping to sharpen participants’ critical thinking, creativity, and vulnerability skills. Professor Pica told participants to not overprepare their answers, stating, “be more precise, instead of perfect.”
“It’s about being intentional on how you represent the text,” Francisco said. “The lessons we learned through Pre-Texts helped us become more well-rounded in anything we want to do.”
“For me, one of the main takeaways was collective intelligence,” Federico reflected. “At the end of the sessions, we were able to have our own unique, and mutual, understanding of a text. It allowed me to think about other perspectives and leave with a greater understanding of an author and their work.”
“I learned so many lessons that I know will help me throughout my professional career,” Carlos stated. “This experience promoted making decisions quickly, being spontaneous, and the pursuit of engaging with arts throughout your life.”
During the program, participants were asked to read a variety of texts.
Interpretations of the text were highly creative, personal experiences for the participants.
While Pre-Texts and the Weissman Internship refined their rigor and ingenuity, Harvard College cultivated their intellectual curiosity and joy in self-exploration.
“In an age where engaging with difficulty has become a choice, specifically with AI,” Federico shared, “Pre-Texts makes the hard things fun through art and community, inspires dialogue and different perspectives, and opens up the room for everyone to share their viewpoints. Harvard is really looking to instill that in its community.”
As the brothers embark on their second year at Harvard, they look forward to building upon this experience by continuing to seek out new courses that excite them, and strongly encourage their peers to do the same.
“Harvard really wants you to discover new interests and challenge yourself. These classes make a mark on you and how you see the world,” Francisco said, noting his first-year comparative literature course, Literature and/as Artificial Intelligence: Humanity, Technology, and Creativity, taught by Professor Moira Weigel, Assistant Professor of Comparative Literature, as especially impactful. “At Harvard, you have to let yourself be surprised. There are so many different opportunities. Let yourself explore. If you do, you’ll get the most out of your experience.”
Federico advised to “allow yourself to explore classes you might not fully understand, even if it's not what you think you’re interested in, but sparks something in you. I’m excited to see what else comes out from my classes, like sociology.”
“At Harvard, you shouldn’t be putting yourself in a box,” Carlos said. “I think that’s one of the best frameworks I have when I choose classes. I’ve taken so many classes I’ve loved that have helped me discover new interests, like the entrepreneurship courses I took with Francisco and Federico during our first year, and they are so different from anything I’ve done. You reap the benefits of being open to all opportunities and taking advantage of them when they come.”
“I don't think I would've found this anywhere else.”
