Luke Pickrell majored in Sociology and later got a Master’s in social work. He is currently doing a one-year master’s program in Global Studies and thinking of getting a PhD after. His interests center around Mexican politics and their intersection with the Supreme Court of Mexico. He is currently working on his capstone on analyzing reasons that led up to the constitutional reforms that changed the entire Mexican judiciary system.
Luke’s decision in choosing global studies came from a desire to pursue more academically rigorous courses before potentially getting a PhD. The Global Studies program aligned with his interests in Latin America after previously teaching English in Mexico City.
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I moved to Mexico not really knowing what I was doing. I ended up arriving just about six days before they had a presidential election and their current president, Claudia Sheinbaum, won that election handedly.
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It was interesting to see a few things. One, her party, Morena, is pretty left wing, certainly more left wing, in my opinion, than anything we have here in the U.S. And so her party, the fact that she won by a ton, and then the fact that one of the things they wanted to do was elect every judge in the country, including their Supreme Court, They don't call them justices, but including their Supreme Court ministers. And I thought, Wow, that's... that's way different. than in the U.S. So I started following that, getting involved in that, you know, as I could as a foreigner.
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I had talked to a few folks about global studies before leaving for Mexico, and so was aware that it existed, and sort of put two and two together at one point and thought, huh, okay, you know, when I come back to the States, I can go back to graduate school. I can talk about what's going on in Mexico.
Luke in the Zócalo in CDMX (Ciudad de México)
In 2024, Luke decided to move to Mexico City after getting a job there and wanting to do something abroad. However, he decided to leave that job and instead teach English and learn Spanish. Soon, Luke became fluent enough to attend meetings, interview people, and reach numerous sources. This is a skill that has immensely supported him during his current time in the Global Studies master’s program, specifically during the interview component of his final project.
In regards to his Capstone, he initially took seminars regarding two particular constitutional reforms that occurred in regards to the Mexican Supreme Court. For this Spring semester, he is focusing on understanding how the idea of reforming the judiciary was accepted.
What does Global Studies mean to you?
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The first thing that comes to mind is, and it's something that attracted me to the program when I was looking at it, is the interdisciplinary nature of it. You can bring in, and you're encouraged to bring in a lot of different interests, [and that] was something that interested me about sociology when I was learning about that in my undergrad. One of the things it means to me is the opportunity to take political science classes, history classes, and the global studies seminar courses. and try to fit those things together. It's also an opportunity to learn more about parts of the world that, you know, I might not otherwise have learned about. Okay, I think that's nice.
Are there any news outlets or journals that you like to read?
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Democracy Now!, with Amy Goodman, has always meant a lot to me. It broadcasts out of New York. I started listening to Democracy Now!. It's a lefty, progressive news outlet. I started listening to Democracy Now! when I, you know, my freshman, sophomore year of college.
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There's also a podcast called Soberanía, which is sovereignty in Spanish. It's by two guys, José Luis Granados Ceja and Kurt Hackbarth. They both have ties to the US, though they work out in Mexico City. They also cover current events from a lefty perspective, [giving] critical analysis of what's going on. I was recently told by them that they're the only English language podcast dedicated to covering the news in Mexico.
Do you have a professor/mentor that has aided your research?
I'm very grateful for all the folks who I've encountered in the program. I'm working more closely with Tiffany Page, who teaches in the global studies program. She's an immensely kind person, a very helpful advisor, and that's also sort of how it works in the global studies master's program. When you come into the program, you choose a part of the world that you'd like to focus on. There are, of course, professors in the program who have a regional concentration is probably what they call it. And so, then, when you write your final paper, it just sort of makes sense that you attach yourselves to them, and her area is Latin America.
What are your future career aspirations?
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I would love to do something that involved teaching and continuing to learn and share my ideas with other people. So, you know, 1,001 things have passed through my mind, but journalism is something that interests me, and I know at least one person who finished their global studies undergrad, who then went into journalism. And perhaps pursuing a PhD is of interest. I know there are other people in the global studies graduate program who also have that interest. But something that combines those. Those are the things that I couldn't do in social work.
Where was your favorite place to visit when you traveled abroad?
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If anyone ever has the opportunity to go to Mexico City, I'd say go for it. If you ever have the opportunity to take the metro, go for it. Something very cool is that in a lot of the stations, they have bookstores, and small museums, and archaeological sites, and the snacks are immensely cheap, and tasty. The world above the ground in Mexico City is very big, and the world below ground, within the metro world, is also sort of like a world in and of itself. And I like public transportation. I like trains. And so you know, that just sort of floats my boat.
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Just one little fun aside, after spending a lot of time in Mexico taking the subway in Mexico City, I got really used to it, never really having an opportunity to sit down. And then also, usually having people sort of touching me on all sides, just because of how many people usually fit into a train car. And so, I felt a little strange when I got on the BART train for the first time, especially coming back from SFO. There was no one around me. Where was the music? Where were the sounds? Where was the yelling? You know? So it definitely feels very different.
An art piece in the 18 de Marzo Ecological Park, also in CDMX
What was your favorite food abroad?
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I was fortunate enough to go to India right after I graduated college, and I like coffee, and I don't know if I could call this necessarily a traditional coffee of some sort, though I was told, in some ways, it is. They'll give you a cup of really strong coffee with a ton of sugar, way too much sugar, probably, for, you know, what's healthy, and then a lot of cream.
What's your favorite place to study in Berkeley?
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It's the Hyatt Regency Hotel, the one that’s sort of near the downtown Berkeley Bart Station. I go in there, the seats are pretty comfortable and there's coffee, tea. The vibe is nice. The music is relatively loud, you know, it's not quiet, like here in the library. But if you're like me and, you know, you really just want a place to sit, you don't want to go home, certainly, 'cause then you want to sleep. And you need, you know, some coffee or some tea. That's the place.
Do you have any advice for navigating college?
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When I was in college in my late teens, early 20s, I really focused on what I felt like I should do, I ought to do, or I have to do. And if you have the opportunity to just explore and just try things, I would say take it. I made a lot of decisions and the world goes on, but I made a lot of decisions based on what I felt like was the really logical thing to do. And to be honest, I sort of feel like now in my early 30s, I'm starting to do the things that I wanted to do when I was in my early 20s. You know, life is something you sort of figure out without a plan, but take some chances, try things out.