What are the most impactful things you have done over the last four years?
I truly got involved in the Boston community. Though I was born in Boston, I moved here from Pennsylvania for college. As someone who became aware of the gentrification that college-aged people sometimes enable in cities, especially ones like Boston, it was important to me to take action to not stay in the bubble of Simmons University and the Fenway/Back Bay area.
I have worked with local mutual aid organizations, gotten to know my neighbors, organized against unlawful ICE activities, attended farmers markets, gone to countless local drag shows, and made friends outside of the school bubble that a lot of people stay in. For me, this connection to the permanent community of Boston has been especially important and impactful.
What is your major(s)?
I am a double major in Africana studies and international relations with a minor in Spanish. I came in as an undeclared major, and took courses that were of interest to me, which fell into the two majors that I currently study.
Tell us about your involvement in the Barbara Lee Fellowship program.
I am currently a Barbara Lee Fellow for the office of Representative Natalie Higgins at the Massachusetts State House. I am remote two days a week and in person one. I do legislative research, attend briefings on legislation, and join the representative in meetings with constituents and/or advocates for local nonprofits.
Did your course of study entail any travel/study abroad opportunities?
Yes! I chose to study abroad in the second semester of my sophomore year, with the USAC program in Heredia, Costa Rica. It was one of the most rewarding and fulfilling experiences that I had in my college career. I was able to meet some amazing people, strengthen my language skills, and widen my educational horizons.
What was your favorite Simmons course and why?
My favorite course changes all the time, but currently it is “Feminist International Relations” (WGSS 356) with faculty member Alessandra Jungs de Almeida. The course content has really made me stop and think about how I have been socialized, and the way the world views/treats women.
I do well in classes that are more discussion based, because I’m very much a verbal processor; I always have to talk something through to understand and digest it. This class is so perfect because we talk about the reading for three hours straight and still sometimes feel cut short in our conversations. Professor Jung de Almeida is also so passionate and knowledgeable about the topic … that it inspires me to understand and reach that same level of intellect and passion for the topics that we are studying. I could not recommend this class and this professor more!
Who was your most influential Simmons professor/mentor and why?
Associate Professor Abel Djassi Amado has been a constant in my time at Simmons. Since my first semester Boston course with him, I have taken one of his classes almost every semester. We overlap in a lot of areas of interest and scholarship and I find his lectures super engaging. I also have always appreciated how he approaches his relationships with students, framing us all as equals and contributors to each other’s learning journeys.
Through getting to know him in classes, I feel more confident in my writing abilities and have been able to attend really interesting panels that he hosts on campus. This year, I was asked to facilitate a panel with Senator Liz Miranda and Professor Amado was the one who told me about this opportunity. So, as a student and as a person, his influence has always been a positive one.
How has Simmons prepared you for your career path or intended profession?
The job experiences that I have had at Simmons, as well as my time working for and collaborating with Jennifer Eckert Center for Leadership and Engagement (CLE) Director Christy Lusiak and Multicultural Center (MCC) Director Rore Yanzon has strengthened my perception of myself as a leader.
Through watching them both navigate their leadership positions at the CLE and MCC, respectively, I have learned so much. As I fulfill the requirements of the Everyday Leadership Pathway (certification), the exercises and lessons on leadership have broadened my knowledge of how to effectively lead a group of people, whether it be in a group project for school or in community organizing initiatives.
How has Simmons taught you to be a leader?
I think that Simmons gave me a unique perspective on leadership. Formally, I am completing the everyday leadership certification, and have been an orientation leader, a Bridge mentor, and held multiple e-board positions over the years. Informally, I have seen the ways that Simmons leadership can … help … the students at this institution.
How did you find community at Simmons?
I met one of my closest friends during the Bridge program orientation session my first year, and have really been able to connect with people by going to events, participating in clubs, and putting myself out there socially. Methods of finding community are constantly changing for me, but something that has always helped ground me in who I want to surround myself with is the intrinsic familiarity I feel with fellow queer people, especially other lesbians and people of color.
What is your favorite Simmons memory?
A core memory of mine is when a close friend got trash grabbers for her birthday and my friend group and I all suited up and picked up trash around campus and the Fenway area. It felt good to see the improvement of an area we occupied and traversed on a daily basis, and we really had fun with it. It is now something that we do often, and it is such a good way to hang out and feel like you are bettering your community as well.
What advice do you have for current and incoming Simmons students?
Get involved! I truly think being social and present at a wide variety of events during your time here, even after the first year, always opens me up to new connections. Getting involved on campus has also helped me network and be offered opportunities. I genuinely just looked at event flyers all over campus and showed up to the stuff that interested me.