Alvarez, Priya

IISL master provided me with a broader understanding of the role legal frameworks can play in the struggle for social change. What I learnt during my stay at the IISL made the basis for decisions and approaches taken on a variety of issues in my professional life afterwards. Later on, when confronted with choices and difficult decisions, I felt equipped with tools and concepts that clarified my thinking and helped me understand the interactions between law and society. The master's classes exposed me to a variety of viewpoints and wonderful scholars that opened a window from a small place and a small community into the world at large. It was both an intellectual hub and a real point of human connection. Oñati is rooted in my memory as a transitional, yet fundamental rite of passage. Although I am not an academic, the experience made me one of those who enjoy discussing endlessly concepts and theories over a nice glass of wine. Overall, I like to think that I made good friends there. There is a nostalgic smile in my face as I am writing these lines, a pang in the heart for all the missed opportunities and a lot of gratitude to each and every person who touched my life along the way