I started my Fulbright in Honduras looking at the politics of youth empowerment in community centers.  Situated in areas of extreme gang violence, I quickly discovered the power of art to empower and bridge divides.  Looking at sites of out of school learning in marginalized communities, breakdancing struck me as an amazing pedagogical feat.  How do you learn to spin on your head!?  
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For a year, I let my questions lead me deeper and deeper into the Central American underground hip hop world.  For putting up with my curiosity, I acted as bridge between US State Department funding and hip hop artists by targeting funding earmarked for violence prevention with at-risk youth.  The bulk of the funding came from the Central American Regional Security Initiative.

 By the end of my year of fieldwork in Honduras, my efforts had culminated in a large hip hop event called “Artes Sin Fronteras” (Arts Without Borders) that looked to use the power of art to transcend divides and stigmas in Central American society.  
Since 2014 this event has grown to become one of the premiere Hip Hop events in Central America and has given opportunities to countless artists to travel.  

Thesis:
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Dealing in ‘marks’ and ‘weight’:
Explorations in the role of personal experience in anthropological interpretation
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