Estefanía Acuña Lacarieri

Class of 2024

Advisor: Didi Kuo

Estefanía Acuña Lacarieri was born and raised in Mexico City, Mexico. As an undergraduate at Stanford University, Estefanía majored in Political Science with an emphasis in Political Economy and Development, and she also completed a second major in Communication. 

Estefanía is interested in immigration policy, human rights, international relations, renewable energy, and political activism. In particular, Estefanía seeks to enhance electoral institutions as a means of protecting Latin American democracies against populist threats. As a result, Estefanía has worked as a Research Assistant for the Deliberative Democracy Lab, as Event Chair for the Stanford Society for Latin American Politics, and as VP of Philanthropy for Stanford Latino. 

As a Master’s student in Latin American Studies at Stanford, Estefanía looks forward to delving deeper into the issues threatening Latin American institutions. For instance, she intends to develop a capstone research project that explores the rise of populism in the region. 

In the long-term, Estefanía aspires to become a champion of sustainability in Latin America and pursue a career in public service, as a leader that will advocate for ethical governance and long-lasting democratic change in Mexico. Hence, she is confident that the Latin American Studies program will be the first stepping stone toward the life she envisions for herself: one that is dedicated to the protection of Latin American democracies. 

In her free time, Estefanía also enjoys painting, meditating, reading, and spending time outdoors.