Juan Gamboa: Redefining Economics Through Art and Environmental Advocacy
Juan Gamboa, originally from Colombia, is a senior at JCU, majoring in Economics and Finance. With a passion for filmmaking and environmental sustainability, Juan plans to make an impact outside of the classroom.
Tell us about yourself.
I was born in Bogotá, Colombia, but I was raised in Cali, where I attended high school. I moved to Florida with my mom when I was 15, where I did my International Baccalaureate program in economics, and that’s why I eventually chose to major in Economics at JCU. After a couple of years in Florida, I moved back to Colombia, where I graduated high school and attended a university in Bogotá for a year.
Deciding to attend JCU was an easy choice for me. I have a Catholic background, and my mom has always been a strong Catholic. Growing up, we had discussed how Rome has a great Catholic community, especially with the Vatican. I also applied to NYU in the United States, but I knew I would rather go to Rome. My first time coming to Rome was when I started attending JCU.
I would say that I found myself at JCU. It’s not that I didn’t know myself before, it’s just that I’ve changed. I had three years of living with different people, backgrounds, languages, and traditions, which have influenced my life.
Tell us about your role as the Events Coordinator for the Film, Media, and Communication Society.
In Spring 2024, I took a gap semester working with film photography in Colombia. During this time, Aurora Caruso, the president of the Film, Media, and Communication Society, sent me a message telling me how she enjoyed my work and wanted to collaborate with me. She brought the society back after years of being dormant. We are trying to give it an identity and create a path for people to follow. Because of this, I believe my role is more than just event coordination. In the society, we all help to fulfill each other’s roles. Our first semester acted as a trial run, so this term we have been able to put on some good events, like the recording equipment workshop with Professor Brian Thomson. My role as event coordinator is important, but I believe the most important part is giving the society a direction for the future.
The society is also great for networking and supporting each other’s projects. It doesn’t need to be movies; it can be any visual project. Our goal is to make one group project every semester. Right now, I am working on a music video for a friend. Another student is doing a two-hour feature. It’s a bigger project, but it has encouraged the society to create more events so students can have a hands-on experience.
You are taking Professor Rodrigo Salcedo Du Bois’s class in Environmental Economics. Is this an interest of yours?
I feel environmental economics is not necessarily an interest, it’s more of a duty. It’s something we are required to do as a society. The climate crisis is one of the world’s biggest emergencies. I think Environmental Economics has been the most important class for my degree. The class allows me to think about the balance between profit and the benefits for everyone. I believe that, as an economist, it is important to think about these issues because we will be in charge of changing policies and working towards a sustainable system. Sustainability must be profitable to work, and we have the power to make a change considering how the world functions through the economy.
It is common for people to disregard the way they are impacting the environment because they are not seeing the results first-hand every day. In Colombia, I feel them all the time, since it is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world. It is essential to ask how we can maximize the well-being of the environment while making it profitable for everyone. It is complex, but I am hopeful I will make an impact. For this reason, I am writing my thesis on biodiversity protection systems in a region of Colombia, in which financial markets can fund the systems and receive returns.
What are your plans for the future?
I believe the finance focus is not for me. I love economics and think it’s an interesting field to study, but I am more interested in the visual aspects of things. I enjoy documentary filmmaking, and I see myself doing something creative. My biggest passion is agriculture and gastronomy, and after I graduate, I will have an internship in Liguria, Italy at a farm-to-table restaurant. I’ll be able to see how agriculture in Italy works and gain insights on the restaurant. After my internship, I am going to do my master’s in anthropology in Italian, at Sapienza University of Rome.
I don’t know exactly what I want to do. I know the things I like and the things I’m good at. Right now, I’m developing skills I can apply to different aspects of my life, and I think in a couple of years I will be going back to Colombia. I believe my undergraduate degree mostly gives me a way to see the world and acts as a framework I can build upon. With a master’s degree, I will be able to focus on a specific area, which I think is very important.
What is your advice for incoming JCU students?
It is important to find a small circle of friends, especially for the first two semesters, because that is the hardest adjustment period. It is when you have the shock of reality setting in, and you need to have good friends to help take care of you. I also believe learning Italian is one of the biggest, most important tools. It allows you to network outside of JCU and actually make Rome your home. If you are going to be here for four years without knowing the language, it will never feel like home.
