Finding Strength in Setbacks, from Hurricane María to Mental Health
After Hurricane María tore apart her community in Puerto Rico, Mónica Martínez-Raga enrolled at CCNY with tuition support that New York State provided to hurricane victims. In this interview, she tells her story of overcoming personal battles with mental health and self-confidence, falling in love with the study of economics, and taking full advantage of the opportunities available through the Colin Powell School. She emphasizes the importance of showing up to events, learning to… Read More »
“Surround Yourself with Those Who Share your Passions”: Shilpa Shaju on Her Path to Become an Immigration Attorney
SHILPA SHAJU,
a Colin Powell School Graduate, Named CCNY Salutatorian
Where are you from? Please share a little of your story.
My parents immigrated to the US from Kerala, India. They then settled in Queens, New York and later moved to New Hyde Park on Long Island. I grew up in New Hyde Park and attended middle school and high school there. I would say I grew up in a pretty homogenous town, considering that most of my graduating class was either
South Asian or white. I really only understood what true diversity… Read More »
Hebh Jamal
2021 Salutatorian for Colin Powell School
Where are you from? Please share a little of your story.
I come from immigrant Palestinian parents who landed in the Bronx, which is where I have lived my whole life. Before I arrived at City College, I spent a majority of my high school years tackling school segregation and education inequalities. I went to a majority white high school where microaggressions and subtle racism were the norm. It was also during the time… Read More »
Beyond the Syllabus and the Textbook: Sangida Akter on Intellectual Agency and Validating Students’ Life Experiences
Sangida Akter
2021 Salutatorian for Colin Powell School
1. Where are you from and what is your background? Please share your story from the
period before you arrived at CCNY.
My parents are originally from Bangladesh. I was born in Los Angeles, then moved to Queens, NYC where I have spent most of my life. However, for a period of years I did live in Saudi Arabia and often visit Bangladesh. In that way, I feel like I have a foot in both hemispheres. This is probably why the influence of… Read More »
Tony Huertas
2021 Salutatorian for Colin Powell School
Where are you from? Please share a little of your story.
I am a proud student of Puerto Rican descent, born and raised in NYC. I am also a member of the LGBTQ community and I have a disability. I returned to the classroom after a thirty-year absence because I realized that there was more that I wanted to accomplish and there is no expiration date for learning and realizing the dream of graduating from college. As a member of the… Read More »
Aisha Fuenzalida Butt
2021 Valedictorian for Colin Powell School
1. Where are you from and what is your background? Please share your story from the
period before you arrived at CCNY.
I am a first-generation college student from a low income family. I grew up in Staten Island in a bilingual, multiethnic Chilean-Pakistani household. I was raised by my single mother and older sister in a family made up solely of resilient women. There was always an abundance of arroz con leche and roti… Read More »
“It Is Ok Not to Know What You Want to Do,” Xin Ying Wu on Discovering Her Path in Public Service
As an undergraduate, Xin Ying Wu studied economics, intending to apply what she learned to her family’s Chinese food restaurant, where she had worked as an adolescent after migrating to the US as a child. Then a chance encounter in the Colin Powell School Fellowships Office - along with deep conversations with colleagues, mentors, and fellow students - led her to discover a passion for public service. She now works in the New York State Assembly and will finish her… Read More »
Nonya Khedr (Class of ‘21) Is on a Mission to End Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C)
Nonya Khedr is an Egyptian immigrant and student of international studies and human rights at the Colin Powell School. As a student she developed a deep commitment to advocating for women and eradicating the practice of Female Genital Mutilation or Cutting (FGM/C) globally. Focusing on this goal, she started an organization called SheFFA with support from the Zahn startup incubator, re-established the United Nations campus chapter, and was both a Colin Powell Fellow and… Read More »
Colin Powell School Staff Engage in Intentional Group Reflections on Year of Pandemic
As the Colin Powell School marked one year of working remotely due to the pandemic, Finance Director Kendra Wright shared her reflections on the unexpected challenges she faced and what she learned in 2020. Her candid reflections inspired others to share their thoughts, as well. Since Kendra’s initiative, the Colin Powell School has set aside time during each week’s staff meeting for two team members to share their reflections on this difficult year.
A moment of… Read More »
Psychology MA Graduate Adam Qureshi: It’s OK to Not Know What You Want to Do
Adam Qureshi, an alumnus of the Psychology MA program, is now a data analyst at Rockefeller University. In this interview, he tells about how he discovered his love for statistics, and how faculty at the Colin Powell School helped him make the career-altering realization that he wanted to be a researcher, not a clinician.
Tell me a little about your background.
I was born and raised on Long Island, NY, and I am half Pakistani and half Greek. Before I came to CCNY, I finished up… Read More »
Last Updated: 01/15/2020 15:46