Thandiwe Birchwood

Worked as Classroom Facilitator at Chelsea Public Schools.

• Researched, reported, and wrote news and feature stories on contemporary culture and social issues, consistently meeting editorial deadlines and collaborating with editors through multiple rounds of revision.
• Conducted original interviews with students, faculty, artists, and public figures, including Puerto Rican musical group Chuwi and French author Marie NDiaye, translating Spanish and Frenc

• Conducted extensive field research on the socio-political conditions of Venezuelan immigrants in Trinidad, with a focus on gendered experiences and the challenges faced by women in migration contexts.
• Mapped the ecosystem of local NGOs, clinics, and community organizations serving Venezuelan migrants, establishing contacts for interviews and further collaboration.
• Engaged in in-depth intervi

• Digitized and archived historical documents related to Afro-descendant identities and experiences in Puerto Rico, ensuring accessibility for future research.
• Collaborated with the Cepeda family, to preserve and document their legacy as ambassadors of bomba (Afro-Puerto Rican folkloric music). (march)
• Developing a final project that explores the intersection of journalism, cultural sustainab

• Instructed K-12 students in the Chelsea High School district, ensuring a supportive and structured learning environment.
• Supported children with special needs, adapting communication and teaching methods to target individual learning differences.
• Collaborated with lead teachers in delivering lesson plans, managing classroom activities, and fostering student participation across preschool, e

• Organizing logistics of a high level itinerary for a medical mission in Lebanon for the summer of 2025.
• Coordinating with health and medical organizations in the country in an effort to have partners who can assist GLSN (The Global Lebanese Support Network) with the medical mission.
• Gathering information and notes through interviews with medical professionals and NGO’s in an effort to stre

Worked as Knapp Fellow at Wellesley College.

• Furthered translation of Spanish language music in an effort to open up the conversation to a larger English speaking base.
• Incorporated more sources that aided in the analysis of Spanish language music connected to Puerto Rico.

• Assembled various annotations on Google Sites that were linked to detailed research papers focused on topics surrounding colonialism in Puerto Rico and racial and gender politics in reggaeton.
• Created research templates with a variety of sources that are crucial in the research of the specific music genre.
• Promoted the Bad Bunny Syllabus to the larger school community in an effort to stimu

Majoring in American Studies (specializing in ethnic studies) and Spanish