Meet the Class of 2023

María José “Majo” Rodríguez Velázquez

Friar Name: Friar Fräulein
Hometown: Tampico, Tamaulipas, MEXICO
Major: International Relations, minor in German

Activities & Honors:

  • President – Mex@Penn
  • Co-President – Penn German Society
  • Founder – Pintando Sonrisas
  • Executive Board – College Cognoscenti
  • Co-founder – Correos con Cariño
  • Associate Consultant – Penn Policy Consulting
  • Advisor – CWiC/Communication  Curriculum
  • Cipactli Latino Honor Society
  • Member – CYAP/Civic Youth Action Partnership
  • Singer – FUERZA
  • 2022 Daniel B. Shumway Prize Winner (Chosen by Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures)
  • Published in Equilibria, Spring 2021

Hobbies: Taking long walks to explore the city, listening to music (a lot of reggaeton), hanging out with my friends, wine & cheese nights, playing volleyball
Favorite Book: Cien Años de Soledad by Gabriel García Márquez
Favorite Movies: Forrest Gump, It, Mamma Mia!
Favorite Food: My grandma’s Mexican food, Taco Bell
Favorite Quote: “Consistency is the playground of dull minds.” ~ Yuval Noah Harari

Plans After Penn: Nothing set in stone, maybe working in Germany, traveling, or Grad school…