Thursday, Feb. 13, 2020        2:30 – 3:00P.M.     &      6:00-7:30P.M.
Multiple stations continuously running during screening times
MSU Library Digital Scholarship Lab – 360 Room

For directions, please click HERE.

 Genre: Virtual Reality

ABOUT THE VIRTUAL REALITY EXPERIENCE

Leobardo Vallejo /USA/ 10 min

English

The Rio Grande Valley is a region of the United States located in the southernmost part of Texas boarding the Mexican border. According to the Census Bureau, the estimated population for the Rio Grande Valley in 2018 was over 1.3 million, with over 90% of the population Latinx.

            Through the advances of 360-degree filming, this project aims to discover the Rio Grande valley through an immersive lens. From festivals and celebrations to everyday social interactions, this project seeks to capture the beauty of this transborder community. Attendees are invited to join us in envisioning this transborder social-culture region while our production brings the Rio Grande Valley to life.

There will be a New Media Panel from 2:00 -2:30 pm at the MSU Library Digital Scholarship Lab with Judith Walgren (School of Journalism), Terence O’Neill (MSU Library Digital Scholarship Lab) and Leobardo Vallejo (MSU Political Science Major).

ABOUT THE DIRECTOR

Leobardo Vallejo is a current Latinx student enrolled at Michigan State University. He was born and raised in Weslaco, Texas. Leobardo’s parents migrated from Mexico to the United States in their early twenties and had four children in the borderland cities of the Rio Grande Valley. He comes from an ambitious seasonal farm working family who has always valued education. Through his high school years, his family migrated to various states in search of work, giving him challenges with his education but was able to overcome hem due to his mother’s motivation. This is partly why, as a CAMP and Social Science scholar at Michigan State University, Leobardo was able to excel in his studies and take advantage of the various opportunities that came his way.

Over the time enrolled in MSU, Leobardo has achieved a range of accomplishments. In October of 2017, he received the future leader scholarships sponsored by the Hispanic Commission of Michigan. Then, in the following year, he worked diligently to land an internship in Washington D.C. with The Office of White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics. Leobardo is an Alum from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute. In his sophomore year Leobardo embarked in two study abroads to Dubai and England further enhancing his research skills.

Leobardo aims to develop the necessary skills to become a prominent figure within the field of politics. He aspires to use this opportunity to inspire those within his community. Leobardo hopes that through his education he will be better able to mentor others that are following in his footsteps.