What are the most impactful things you have done over the last four years?
Showing up to class every single time was impactful in its own way, but finding my internship within the Democratic National Committee (DNC) because of Simmons was a major turning point in my career. It was the first time I felt my work directly impacted my community, and there is nothing more fulfilling than knowing that I helped my neighbors.
Are you a first-generation college student?
I am! I am also the first one to graduate from high school. This experience was the hardest one by far. Just the sheer number of obstacles that stood in my way and [earning] a higher education degree was the most difficult process of my life. But I was determined to get a degree from a four-year university. I worked multiple jobs to put myself through college, and to see the pride in my brother’s and mom’s faces made the darkest and hardest days of being a first-generation student just as special.
What is your major(s) and why did you choose this field of study?
I am a political science major. I chose this field because growing up, I never felt like I belonged in a specific sport, or the arts, such as drama and theater. I spent much of middle school and high school wondering why nothing stuck for me. Then I found my first internship in a political campaign, and I found that feeling that I saw in my friends’ faces when their team won championships, or the theater club won a state award. It was like something finally clicked for me, and I haven’t looked away from political science since!
Tell us about your involvement in the Barbara Lee Fellowship program.
The Barbara Lee Fellowship [during which I interned for Senator Joan B. Lovely] has been truly life-changing. I applied to the fellowship doubting that I was qualified, but I had professors and advisors who believed in me so deeply — that is why I applied, and got accepted, into this incredible program.
I find myself in very important rooms these days. I also find myself putting on a blazer every morning, which is so surreal that this is my life. I get to be in the State House, where every day laws are being made, argued, and fought for. The program has offered me such an invaluable experience that I will carry for the rest of my life.
What was your favorite Simmons course and why?
Definitely “Theories of Justice” (POLS 232) with Associate Professor Lena Zuckerwise. I found a group of students who cared so deeply for the things we were learning and the materials we were working with. The sheer intelligence of the women I interacted with in that course moved me after every single conversation we had in that class.
Who was your most influential Simmons professor/mentor and why?
Associate Professor Abel Djassi Amado. You cannot take a class with Professor Amado and not love it. The way he carried every course with such grace and integrity really made me feel like he cared for his students, and not only from an academic point of view. Professor Amado would also care for each of his students’ success beyond their time at Simmons University, and I will cherish the knowledge he imparted to me.
How has Simmons taught you to be a leader?
Simmons made me a leader because it taught me how to talk to people without fear of judgment. Simmons truly fosters such a judgment-free environment that I found myself leading discussions and conversations simply because I felt safe to do so.
What advice do you have for current and incoming Simmons students?
Talk, talk, talk!!! As a transfer student to Simmons, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of talking to people. Make a fool of yourself, put yourself out there, and do not be scared to talk to the random person you have a single conversation with during a class. That person might become your best friend. And also, do not be scared to fail. Simmons is going to be there for you; you just have to lean into the community here.