Who we are…

Hi my name is Piotr Golda I am a student at laguardia community college. This is my first semester and i love this school. I speak two languages Polish and English both come very fluent to me which is very helpful in many situations. The things that I love to do is listen to music and travel. The reason why I like traveling to different places because you learn a lot of languages and different cultures.  

 

My name is Shanté I’m 20 and my major is Liberal arts and social humanities. I enjoy knitting, watching tv, reading, and listening to music. I also enjoy spending time alone because I believe in personal space, but I also like to hang out with my friends. I’m very sarcastic, goofy, funny, unpredictable, and outgoing. I like to try and experience new things.

 

Arushi Naina: I was hired at HSBC multinational bank simply because I was bilingual in addition to my experiences. Previously I have worked at a General Nutrition Center as a Store Assistant Manager. That is an experience I’d never forget. While consulting my clients I’ve learned so much about heath supplement and home remedies. Outside of my career, my passion is to unpack literature hierarchy and ancient history. I want people to know me as a traveler and art lover. My Instagram page name is @wanderlust_naina. So far I’ve traveled to more than 20 countries.  My goal in life is to travel around the world. Exploring art, poetry, culture, and ancient history is just awe-inspiring. Learning language and culture by traveling has given me a different perspective to life. One can truly understand and learn another culture by being in it, let it be for an hour or a day. I strongly believe it is absolutely necessary for personal growth and also to overcome bigotry. Thus, language and knowledge are powerful tools for anyone, and can be used anywhere in the world. Here is a poem of mine in translation from Bengali to English.

My name is Malique Mitchell, I was born in the Bronx but I moved around a lot as a kid so I didnt gain any specific accent from anywhere. I’m a Liberal Arts social science and humanities major at LaGaurdia Community College, I plan on switching to anthropology once I graduate.

 

 

My name is Daisy Codallos-Silva and I’m currently studying Liberal Arts: Humanities and Social Sciences. After going upstate to study environmental science and realizing it wasn’t for me, I came back to the city and decided to start over at Laguardia Community College. While I have no idea what I want to pursue anymore, I’m making the most of it and exploring all sorts of classes I find interesting to me. I hope in one of those classes I will find my passion, but until then I’m taking my lack of knowing what the future holds as an opportunity to learn new things.

 

Vaniqua Hudson: I am a very proud mother who was born and raised in NYC and live in Queens NY. I am the vice president of the parent teachers association in my daughter’s school. I feel in my heart that children are our future. It is important that the adults show children from young just what the world is about, and how we can make it better. This is why I am an earlier childhood education major. I am a no nonsense kind of person with a 3.715 GPA and on the dean’s list and I am ready for anything that comes my way. My goals is to change the world and I believe working with kids can be the start to changing the world for the better. I think working with kids and teaching them not only math or science but teaching them how to be a good person. I want to aim to learn, grow and make the world a happier place. I truly believe that as adults, it is our responsibility. Being a teacher completely fits into my values and interest for the “better world” .To be successful in this field you need to have lots of patients, you need to be ready to solve problems when they happen and think on your toes. You have to have a heart that wants to make a difference and believe you can; to be a good teacher you need to be willing to also learn, and always be ready to learn. I am ready!

My name is Songhui Lee, and I am Korean.  I am studying in Laguardia college, and my major is  Business Administration.  I like to watching movie, my favorite movie is “ Me before You”.  This is because the movie has inspired me to study in college.  The actor of this said “ Live boldly, push yourself, don’t settle because it’s actually your duty to live it as fully as possible”.  This quote touched my heart and encourage me to study with English what is not my native language.  I  really wanted to study but I was afraid.  But now, when I want to give up something I always remind the quote.

 

My name is Gary Neil Debrosse, I am currently a secondary childhood Education major which mainly focuses on grade 7-12 grade. I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York but moved around a lot as a kid, but ultimately we always ended up coming back to Brooklyn. I am a very active person who enjoys lifting weights and aspires to be an amateur pro Bodybuilder. If I’m not in the gym more than likely I am out with friends, some call me a social butterfly because I am very talkative and friendly.

 

 

My name is Jermaine Williams; I am a political science major. I will be transferring to John Jay to pursue a bachelor’s degree in the legal field. Political science, pre-law and international affairs are my main focus. International law and social sciences are my passion. After I complete my bachelor’s degree in Political Science with a minor in law I will be pursuing a JD. Hopefully I will get accepted to Fordham University or CUNY Law. I am also interested in studying abroad at the University of Amsterdam, possibly pursuing a LLM.

 

My name is Arlene Torrenegra. I was born on October 23, 1999 and I’m currently 19 years old. My family comes from Santa Marta, Colombia. I’m an undergraduate student in my last semester in LaGuardia Community College. I graduate in June 2019 with an associates in Deaf Studies. I have a passion for Sign Language and hope to achieve a career in it. My first encounter with American Sign Language was in my senior year of High School and since then, I have had this desire to just learn more and more. So, I decided to major in Deaf Studies in college and I do not regret it! It’s a great feeling for me to know it and communicate in it with the deaf and for them to say, “You know Sign Language?!” I love it.

My name is Agustin Valente, I’m Latin American my parents born and raised in Mexico but my parents wanting the American dream they came to the United States to have a new start. I’m the oldest of my two younger brothers, all three of us being American citizen making us the new generation to be born the United States. My first language was Spanish I grew up hearing it everywhere, especially because I grew up in prominent Spanish speaking area, my second language learned was English I learned it in school making me bilingual. I’m still unsure of what I want to do as a career, i’m just seeing where life takes me. Currently i’m learning two more languages Korean & Chinese and I can say Korean is more easier than Chinese. I love listening to all type of music, because music is a big part of my life it always calms me down and I feel at ease. I’m a person that like to learn new things like languages, astrology, editing, I have always learned quickly except for math that’s just not my thing.

My name is Minhazur Rahman Choudhury. I am majoring in Computer Science. I was born in Sylhet which is a small town in Bangladesh, and it has a specific dialect that all of its native speak in. Bangladesh is a small country in Southern Asia. I love my country and hometown. Sylhet is known as a holy town in Bangladesh. Since I was a child I have loved to play Cricket. I like to watch soccer. Reading books, writing poems, teaching kids, collecting books are my favorite hobbies.There are more than five hundreds books (Arabic, Bangla and English) in my collection.  I have a dream to build a personal library. In my early age, I memorized the holy Qur’an and I love to recite it when I feel lonely or sad. I am very interested in learning language. I have hoped to learn Mandarin. This class is fun for me, and I really enjoy it.

My name is Christopher Diaz. I was born in New York City on August 10, 1991. At the age of 3, I moved to the Dominican Republic. Graduated high school in 2010 and went back New York to attend college. Currently, I am on my final semester for my associates degree in Psychology.

 

 

My name is Karina Hernandez. I am second generation Dominican American on the wrong side of 25,turning 27 this summer. LaGuardia is the 3rd college I’ve attended while figuring out what career path I’m taking. Currently majoring in Biology to become a high school teacher or a lab technician. I have a terrible 2 year old named Leonardo ( like the ninja turtle) who drives me crazy. I’m also a bit of a health nut, on the verge of becoming a vegan and trying to get back to that pre-mom bod haha. I’m shy and awkward sometimes but I love to laugh which I do at just about anything. It is the best medicine.

My name is Maria Ramos, I am 20 years old and I am currently studying liberal arts social sciences and humanities. I’m still not 100% sure of what I’ll do next, what I do Know is that I don’t want to stay without a college education. Life is very short, that’s why the important things are done when you still have the energy to do it, but never forgetting that what you decide to do must be loved and valued.

 

Cristal Williams. A transfer student from QCC, 15 credits away from obtaining my associates in Psychology. I’m planning to transfer to Hunter College to finish my B.A. Determined to help children with behavioral issues around the world as a Psychologist. I had the experience of a lifetime when I got chosen to work as a lead counselor for a month at P.S 145 in Brooklyn, that’s what inspired me to work with kids. Besides reading I love working out and doing charity work. 

 

My name is Akhda Ora and I am a 22 year old American born Bengali. I love doing henna and doing makeup on myself and on others as well. I have recently opened up an IG page to showcase the work I do and post mini tutorials on the eye makeup that I can do. I am a super nervous type of person and I need things explained to me more than once to feel comfortable with what I’m doing. The instagram handle is @muakhda. I love doing math and I want to become a math teacher for grades 7-12. I don’t understand everything math related but once I put my mind into learning it, I can get it down pretty fast. My favorite shows are The Office, New Girl and Game of Thrones. When it comes to movies, I mostly watch Bollywood movies because I love my south asian culture and watching these movies make me really happy. Hollywood movies are also good, but they don’t have the same magic that Bollywood does. Even though I am American born, my roots to Bangladesh, or just desi culture in general, are very deep.

Ryan Seslow is an artist, graphic designer and a professor of art, design & communication technology living and working in New York. As a visual artist Seslow is often found working with a synthesis of traditional applied arts synthesized with electronic, digital and new media techniques. Seslow show his work frequently both on and off the web. He shares a lot of his current projects, exhibitions and collaborations on his website. Seslow is the curator of Concrete to Data & the Co-Curator of Encrypted Fills & Animating Transit. Seslow continues to curate a few projects each year and share those exhibitions on the web as well. As a professor of art, design & communication technology Seslow teaches various hybrid studio art, digital art, graphic design, new media & digital storytelling courses for graduate and undergraduate level programs simultaneously in NYC. He teaches simultaneously between CUNY York College & the Borough of Manhattan Community College, LIU Post & Iona College.

Inés Vañó García is a Ph.D. candidate in Hispanic Linguistics (Latin American, Iberian and Latino Cultures) at The Graduate Center. Her Spanish sociolinguistics approach adopts a critical perspective which addresses the relationship between language and politics. Her research focuses on the professionalization of the teaching of Spanish in the United States during the 20th century. Currently, Inés is a Mellon CUNY Humanities Alliance Graduate Teacher Fellow at LaGuardia. This semester she is very excited to be part of the Pressing Public Issues Project where we will create and build a digtal storytelling exhibition! Inés is eager to improve her digital skills and discover her artistic and creative self.

Collaborators/Guests:

Alison Walls is a Ph.D. candidate in Theatre and Performance Studies at The Graduate Center. An actor and director from New Zealand, she holds an MA in French from Victoria University of Wellington and an MFA from Sarah Lawrence College. Her current project examines the surrogate mother character in U.S. popular culture 1939-1963. Alison currently serves as a CUNY Mellon Humanities Alliance Teaching Fellow. Alison teaches Public Speaking at Baruch and LaGuardia colleges and is looking forward to coaching the students of “Introduction to Language” to help them give voice to their unique projects!

Asilia Franklin-Phipps. After several years of teaching Asilia became interested in exploring how to better facilitate students in thinking and being in relation to race and racism in the particular context of Oregon. This ongoing and predictable pedagogical challenge became the focus of Asilia’s dissertation, which explored how arts practices and aesthetic experiences happen in relation to shifting racial discourse, political events, and digital culture, allowing future teachers to differently encounter race. Asilia continues to wonder about the possibilities of teaching and becoming more ethical in relation to new knowledge. In her time in Oregon, Asilia has learned to appreciate walks in the woods, home-brewed kombucha, maligned rituals, and swimming in lakes and rivers. Asilia has a PhD in Critical Sociocultural Studies in Education from the University of Oregon.