The English translation of Grecia Leal Pardo’s first name is “Greece,” reflecting her mother’s passion for the ancient world. As a child, Pardo did not share that passion. “I didn’t like my name,” she admits. “I thought Greece was dusty, boring, and old.”
Pardo (BA, Classics, Drama, 2019), who graduated from the UW in June, doesn’t think that anymore. As a double major in Classics and drama, the ancient world has been an integral part of her UW experience.
Born in Morelia, Mexico, Pardo immigrated to Chehalis, Washington with her family at age nine. Soon after, she warmed to the ancient world by reading Percy Jackson novels based on Greek myths. Then she read the Odyssey, Homer’s epic poem, and was hooked. “I was interested in how resonant it was to me thousands...