Hometown: New York, NY
High School: Cardinal Hayes High School
Major: English with an emphasis on Creative Writing

Activities: Member of Voices of Indigenous People, member of Alianza de Latina America y Caribe, and former resident of PALANA.

Study Abroad: I chose not to go abroad because I want to take advantage of all the learning opportunities and internships offered at Middlebury College. I am planning to go to Italy and Ireland right after my graduation.

Why did I want to be a Senior Fellow?

One of my two main reasons is to develop skills such as public speaking, event planning, group presentation, and leadership.  Secondly, I want to help students find the college that will make them feel they made the right choice. I am grateful that I had that opportunity to learn about Middlebury College with the help of the Admissions Office, mainly the students who influenced my final decision into coming to Middlebury.

What was my college search like?

My college search consisted of traveling around New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Indiana with my mentor visiting school after school. My parents were extremely busy to join me in these trips but they always told me to chose the college that will make me the happiest. I did not have the blessed opportunity to go to all of my 10 colleges, but I was grateful to have the representatives of every college come to my high school and lead informational sessions. It was a rigorous process because I was the first in my family to go to college. Therefore, I had no one to help me with the college process, except for my mentor and favorite high school teacher.

Why Middlebury?

Out of all the schools I visited, Middlebury was the right one for me. The main reason is the setting and major. I liked the size of the school, the town and nature surrounding me. Also, I wanted to major in English Literature because I wanted to perfect my writing skills. I was a weak writer and did not have a good grasp in the English language. The English department offered me the opportunity to develop these skills with the help of the professors and peers. I am happy with my decision!

What is life at Middlebury like?

Choosing a major

I chose to be an English major because I love reading all kinds of stories: Poetry, Medieval, Love Stories, Shakespeare, etc. I also decided to take creative writing courses because I had the opportunity to develop my writing skills with talented professors.

The biggest challenge in transitioning to college

My family. As soon as my parents left Middlebury, I was alone and I felt a huge gap in my heart. I missed my brother and sister, my cousins, my grandmother, my crazy aunts and uncles, and my close friends. In New York City, we live close to each other and we visit each other all the time, usually my extended family gather at my house to watch telenovelas together or grab some coffee with pan and exchange the latest gossip. My brother told me that I will me okay because they will always call me or skype. Since then, I focused my time in making new friends, joining extra-curriculum activities, and enjoying the setting.

Fondest memory of Middlebury

My fondest memory of Middlebury is performing for the ISO and Alianza cultural shows and reading my poems. Dancing is my biggest passion besides writing and I am glad that I can share that with my friends and new people I meet in rehearsals. For me, dancing is an opportunity to get to know someone and teach them the steps to a dance they probably did not even know in the first place. As long as I see them happy and enjoying my company, I am happy to have shared that experience with them.

Favorite class or professor

I’d have to say Nonfiction with Professor Shaw. I had a hard time believing that I could write. I always criticized my writing and had my doubts, to the point that I give up and stop believing in myself. One day, I went to meet with Professor Shaw in his office and he sat me down and told me that he believed I have talent. He told me that if I did not believe in my writing, I would not develop the right attitude and skill in writing. Ever since then, I believed in my writing talent. I read the books he personally assigned me and gave positive feedback in my writing. He introduced me to a world of books I’ve never heard of. I will also never forget of my first creative writing professor, Jessica Smythe. She introduced me to the world of magic realism and encouraged me to learn from the great authors. Last but not least, Julia Alvarez is my inspiration. I read all her books and I admire her writing.

What I do in my spare time

Tell Stories. Laugh. Chill with friends. Listen to Latin music. Read books. Write short stories. Sketch people in my stories. Be silly and enjoy my spare time.

What I did this past summer

I worked at Community Service Society, a nonprofit in New York City, as an Art that specializes in matching adults 55+ with rewarding volunteer assignments in their community. My main task was to lead a creative writing class every Tuesday and Thursday morning to students going into middle school. I introduced them to the world of blogging and help them develop the right skills to interview the elder community about their achievements and personal goals. The objective of the project was to inspire these youngsters to go to college and avoid street life. I worked closely with the participants to help create the blog. I had a great time with the staff and kids. So the last day was really sad for me. I think I cried a bit. I love working with kids.