My name is Conor O’Brien. I am a fourth year Anthropology major and History minor at UCLA. As a community college transfer student from the Bay Area, it was important for me to devote my time to extracurricular activities that I am passionate about, which would complement my academic and professional goals. I pursued research my junior year through the Lemelson Anthropological Honors Program, and the Undergraduate Research Fellows Program, which allowed me to design a research project and contribute to a discourse of my choice. My project, Sin Embargo: Buen Hombres, Guapos, and The Abakua Society in Contemporary Cuba, explored the historic and contemporary importance of the all-male Cuban secret society, Abakua. Following a year of academic preparation which included the completion of a literature review and project proposal, I was spent the summer of 2017 in Havana and Matanzas, Cuba collecting data. As a senior, I am currently in the process of data analysis, continuing my work with the Lemelson program and now the Undergraduate Research Scholars Program. My advisors Dr. Andrew Apter, and Dr. Robin Derby as well as Dr. Kelly Kistner in the Undergraduate Research Center have been a great help, providing valuable advice and support. Pursuing research was one of the best choices I have ever made.