Iago was born and raised in Mexico City and has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the Technological University of Mexico, as well as a background in immigrant advocacy. For nearly a decade, he has worked on writing personal declarations for individuals navigating their immigration process, conducting in-depth interviews with both Spanish- and English-speaking clients to help them share their stories with clarity and emotional depth. He is currently pursuing admission to a doctorate-level program, aiming to become a clinical psychologist specializing in LGBTQ+ and Latino communities. He is particularly interested in the intersection of queer identities, different racial and ethnic identities, and mental health. His research goals include exploring social issues like acceptance, internalized shame, and cultural factors affecting well-being and the success of psychological intervention. He wishes to help develop therapy approaches that empower clients facing these challenges.
Outside of his professional life, he loves karaoke, video games, and snowboarding. Spending time with his partner, Bret, and their friends in Chicago is what fills his cup, whether they’re exploring the city or sitting by the lake. He has always loved to travel to and walk around new cities with his headphones on. When he was a teenager, he had the crazy idea of studying Japanese even though he had no idea in which setting he would be speaking it. At 25, he finally made it to Tokyo and learned everyone wanted to speak English to him. He still has no idea if his rusty Japanese will ever come in useful, but it still helped him understand another culture much more intimately. He couldn’t find a photo of himself studying it, but below is one from that era. He was 17, goofing around at Six Flags Mexico—pretty on-brand for him.
santiago.durazzocejudo@northwestern.edu
