Colin Powell School
Ricardo Anez Carrasquel ‘20
1. Where are you from and what is your background?
I was born in Caracas, Venezuela. At age 7, I moved with my family to Cheyenne, Wyoming. I always get asked, “why Wyoming?” Like many immigrants, we move to where we have connections. My aunt was our anchor here in the United States and she was living there at the time. I was fortunate to get to travel a lot while growing up in Wyoming. Like most kids and teens that grow up in small towns, I wanted out. I turned 18 in 2012 and that May, I graduated high school. Four months after that, I made my move to New York.
2. What brought you to City College?
I came to City College as a transfer student from Queensborough Community College. I went to QCC right away but then took time off to work and save money to continue my studies. I eventually went back and graduated with my Associates Degree from there in 2016. When I was looking for schools to transfer to, I focused on schools that provided my intended major of “international studies or international affairs or relations.” At the time, I had a professor at QCC that asked the class where we were headed next. When I told her my plans, she strongly encouraged me to go for it, especially in that major, since she also graduated from City College. I was not really looking at any other schools and once I visited the campus, I knew it was the place where I wanted to be. I ended up majoring in International Studies with a concentration in International Relations and a minor in Legal Studies and graduated this past May.
3. What is your passion or purpose behind pursuing what you did at City College?
International politics and relations have had their effect on my life since I was very young. Venezuela has had its fair share of international attention over the last 21 years, but moving to the United States I realized how much more complex everything is and what dynamics are at play on the international relations stage. In high school I was in the International Baccalaureate program in which I really tackled history, international relations theory, and other subjects that fueled my passion for it. Once I got to City College, I realized that I wanted to pursue a minor in Legal Studies as well. During my time at City College, I also was in the CCNY Dream Team. Alongside that experience and the classes I took, I started to really get passionate about social change and justice work. My original plan was to go to law school eventually and then become an attorney that practices international trade law, then further my career in hope of becoming a Foreign Service Officer. While those are still my long-term goals, I currently am starting my career at the intersection of social change and academia.
4. How has City College helped you to get where you are at in your career?
City College has helped me launch my career. I am working in the Dean’s Office at the Colin Powell School as a Special Projects Coordinator. Currently I am working on a new social change initiative, which is a partnership between the Colin Powell School and the CUNY School for Labor and Urban Studies. This project is just getting started, and I am really passionate about supporting the next generation of young leaders that will have a lasting impact on this world. This project aims to do just that in a variety of ways by supporting young people, especially women and people of color throughout their careers in the social justice sector offering the skills, experiences, support, and the network that they need to succeed. While working on this project it has just ignited my passion for helping create transformative lasting social change. I also help in other areas of the Dean’s Office. I often bring my fresh student perspective into conversations. I have been really enjoying working behind the scenes and I must say that here at the Colin Powell School we really do put the students at the center of what we do and try to engage with them as much as possible. This is especially true right now since we are all working from home.
5. Do you have any significant memories or accomplishments from your career or time at City College that you would like to talk about?
If I have to look back at one of my favorite memories at City College, it has to be my time with the CCNY Dream Team. When I came to City College, I had finally found a space which felt like a community to me. We organized on campus, mobilized to conduct bake sales to help fund our operations but to also support those who needed financial support in renewing their DACA. I was part of the E-board serving as the secretary which really prepared me for the role I have now as well.
I am also very proud that I graduated Summa Cum Laude. It wasn’t until my senior year that I went to school full time for both semesters at City College. During my time as a student, I would often work full time, part time, and sometimes overnights to help me pay my way through school, often taking 2-3 classes per semester. Once I was able to apply for the New York Dream Act and receive some form of financial aid, it helped alleviate how many hours I worked during the week and focus on school full time again. It might have taken me longer than I would have liked but I graduated with honors and debt free!
6. Do you have any advice you could give to future and current students?
Reflecting on my time at City College I would like to tell current and future students to not be afraid to take up opportunities that are available to you. There are so many resources and opportunities that the Colin Powell School has for students that are really there to enrich your experience and prepare you for the next chapter: from fellowship opportunities to events to even emergency grants. Getting to know your professors is really a big component of success. I used to be that student, especially when I was working a lot, that would just go into class, do what I had to do and come right back out. I realized that I was not allowing myself to get to know my professors and also my peers. It wasn’t until a professor had approached me about a paper I wrote, wanting me to meet her during her office hours, that this changed. I went into the meeting not knowing what to expect but she let me know that she really enjoyed my paper and started to ask about my future. From that point forward it really led me to approach my professors and even my peers more about advice, if I had any questions about content or career moves. One of them even wrote me a letter of recommendation. That meeting was a turning point for me in my college career. I never really had a professor approach me in that way about my work. There are some really cool faculty and staff here at the Colin Powell School that just know how to push you in a way that gets you to where you need to be or give you that confidence to aim even higher.