Career

Coming into Baruch I was under the impression that everything I would need to succeed in my future career would be in my classrooms. But on the contrary, I had realized that my classrooms would not give me one vital thing I would need. The skills too actually get the job. To fix what seemed some irrelevant at the time, my friends and I attended a Resume Workshop given by ALPFA. In this workshop I learned that three main things separate me from being able to get my prospected job and being unemployed. Those three things are: LinkedIN, a resume, and the elevator pitch.

The elevator pitch is basically sixty seconds in which you have to give your potential employer a quick summary of who you are and what you have done. In my mind it seemed easy but when we started practicing I had come to the realization that I was way in over my head. Then came the resume portion of the workshop. Again my ignorance seemed to prevail because yet again I believed it would be a walk through the park. As you can guess I was wrong. I realized some much information on my current resume could have been phrased differently or was unnecessary. Thankfully I had no idea what LinkedIN was so I listened attentively as they described how essentially it was social media for potential employers and employees without the carefree social aspect. Overall I would recommend that this workshop be attended.

This week, I attended an event hosted by ISO(International Student Organization). It was an internship workshop intended to help any international students to understand and be better prepared to eventually get an intership. While I myself am not an international student, there was still a lot of valuable information that I got by attending. The presenters were clear and friendly and they made the entire event welcoming and inclusive. I had gone with the intention of learning more about the process and difficulties of finding and securing an internship that would be enjoyable and beneficial to my future career prospects. In that sense, it fell short of my needs. Not in any way at the fault of the presenters. I merely misunderstood the premise of the workshop. The description was lacking and I was initially unaware of what ISO stood for. As such, I believed it was a workshop intended for the general populace of Baruch. I was mistaken. It was often very specific in discussing the ways in which the internship process differs for international students. However, despite that I still gained valuable insight into the internship system. I was told what resources there are for finding an internship. The hours and procedures of all pertinent offices and people. It was, over all, not what I expected but it was informative and fun. There were plenty of people, all of whom were friendly, and more than enough snacks. They discussed their club and how they worked and asked if anyone was interested in joining. I am already a member of three clubs and thought a fourth would be excessive. Even still, I was tempted to take them up on their offer. It was a very enjoyable experience, even if I felt a bit out of place. I will most certainly be exploring more school events in the future.

Latinx Heritage Month Mocktails & Paint

On Tuesday September 12th I attended the Latinx Heritage Month Mock Tails&Paint event with Alex . Upon arriving and signing in we were served an assortment of snacks like churros and flan which was followed by featured guest speaker Miguel Trelles. Mr. Trelles briefly spoke about the indigenous people of Panama known as the Kuna and their traditional art form known as mola. Mola which originated with women painting their bodies with colorful geometric designs soon began to be placed on cloths and clothing to be sold to Panamas European settlers. Following the information section we were then able to observe various examples of molas and eventually attempt to design and paint our own versions of a mola on cloth.I’m not the most artistic or neat person so I cant say that mine came out looking too amazing but the overall experience was very fun.

Academic

I attended the General Interest Meeting for NABA@Baruch on September 7th with Mayer and Malik, where we learned about NABA and the perks we can get for becoming a part of the organization. During the first week of school, the three of us were bored and wandering around the school with no aim. Somehow, we found our way into BSU’s club room, where we met a lot of school people. We spent the first few club hours just hanging out, telling stories, laughing at jokes, and other things. Once we entered the room, we saw all the people we had met in that club room, and hung out until the presentation started. They also had food prepared and served to all of us, which was great, and afterward, everyone just introduced themselves to each other. I definitely enjoyed the environment, and I will definitely become a part of this club. They also helped me guide through blackboard and cuny first, and set goals for me by the end of this semester, and they’ve been helping me through the semester. Therefore, this will be my academic submission.

Hillel Event

Last Wednesday I attended Hillel’s Parsha and Pizza weekly meeting. There were about 20 people there and everyone was very warm and welcoming. Each week one student prepares a short 10-15 minute lesson from that week’s Torah (Bible) portion and teaches it to the rest of the group. This leads to an open discussion about the weekly portion and the lesson that was shared, all while enjoying some pizza. The discussion was very interesting and engaging with many people participating and adding their opinions. It was a really enjoyable event that I am looking forward to on Wednesday and is a great way to meet some really awesome people.

LatinX Opening Ceremony

Coming from a predominantly white high school. I thought the opportunity to join a club for Hispanic students would be a great opportunity. I was immediately greeted with some loud Latin music and people dancing and talking loudly, very Latino! There was Latin food being served and the opportunity to sign up for various clubs, of which I signed up for LASO.

There were dancing games going on, people volunteered, and we all laughed as they played “Musical Chairs” although there was a twist that there weren’t actually chairs but rather you had to quickly find a dance partner instead. This was just a glimpse into what LASO is all about and it seems like a high energy club that I look forward to being a part of.

I also found out that a couple of people that I used to run track against are also Colombian (Vamos Colombia!) and I thought that was very fitting because we used to run against each other but now we were able to connect through our heritage. This is what LASO is all about, connecting people through a commonality, which is that we can all relate through our experiences of being Latino.

I’m glad that I found a club that I can look forward to being a part of. Coming into Baruch I knew I wanted to be a part of something new, something that I hadn’t been a part of in high school. LASO seems like the perfect club where I can meet new people, make friends, and have a lot of fun. I’m excited for what’s next.

Student Life: LATINX Opening Ceremony

I attended the LATINX Opening Ceremony with Chelsea on September 7th. Upon arriving at the event, which took place on the second floor of the Vertical Campus, I was immediately greeted by excited members who provided plethora of information about the club. Additionally, there was a variety of free food to choose from, including: empanadas, tostones, fruit ice pops, and juice. After the initial greeting, a DJ started playing music and soon after, a dance competition and party ensued! I appreciated the fact that Hispanic culture was being celebrated through a club. This experience definitely made me interested in possibly joining the club.

Absolute Adrenaline GIM

My Bucket List As A Club!

When I was first admitted into Baruch College, one of the first things I did was look into the clubs that were offered. Absolutle Adrenaline was one of the first to catch my eye. Going to the general interest meeting allowed me to confirm one thing: this is definitely a club for me. Not only do they sponsor some things on my bucket list but they promote healthy living and the development of great friendships. Even at the beginning of the meeting, I felt comfortable; the ice breakers certainly helped to release any feelings of an outsider. You don’t have to be the fittest or the most adventurous, all you need is the desire to have fun, make friends and stay healthy. I hope to be able to go to as many events as I can this while I am at Baruch.

El Museo Del Barrio Exhibition

El Museo Del Barrio is a museum in East Harlem. This museum is famous for its ability to bring light, to the almost fading, history of Hispanic culture.

The day I went to the exhibition, I arrived with only minutes to its closing. Hurriedly I checked my bag in and ran to the entrance. The guards within reminded me once again that I only had 15 minutes to go, so I started my search. The search was to find the most relatable piece of art. I soon realized it wasn’t far from my grasp as I turned the corner.

A woman’s face was trapped in a box, while the rest of her (her unruly hair) was out side. Underneath the box was inscribed “Tu Afro No Cabe en la Foto,” which translates to “Your Afro Doesn’t Fit in the Photo.” I quickly recognized this piece to be symbolizing the “hair issue” within the Hispanic culture, where European features are praised for having, but Afro-American features are covered by the swipe of a flat iron. The Afro within this piece represents the resistance, straying away from what is “traditionally” viewed as beautiful and not conforming ones self into societal definition of appropriateness. Her Afro is breaking these boundaries and taking her whole persona.

I found this piece to be relatable because while going through my natural hair journey, I too received unwanted opinions of my new untamed hair. To my surprise someone even told me, “I don’t like your hair like this, you look black.” Despite all of that, I learned how to embrace my hair and myself.

You may be asking your self, “Okay… but how did this event assist you during your first semester at Baruch College?” Don’t worry I’m getting there.

This event assisted me during my first semester at Baruch College, by further showing me that as long as I can embrace myself, the opinions of others shouldn’t matter. Therefore I could be open to my school environment and be unafraid to break social barriers.

NYMIA club

On Thursday September 7th, 2017, I attended the NYMIA (New York Music Industry Association) club. The club focuses mainly on the factors that make up the music industry and give people insight on how the world of music business works. The club not only does that, it also gives musicians a chance to come together and maybe jam together, start a band, etc. My first impression of the club was I found it relaxing and easy-going. What I mean is that it didn’t feel as if I had to come to every meeting and sacrifice my social and academic life in order to prove to the members that I was fully involved. The people there seemed fully invested in their roles within the club and all seemed very comforting from start to finish. The president of the club assured us that this club wasn’t going to force us to come to every meeting and do every event they plan, instead, she said that we should be present at our own leisure. My method of becoming involved with NYMIA will mostly consist of mingling with other incoming members and to make new friends. Who know? maybe I’ll form a band and create tons of songs with the others. I can try to help promote the annual festival NYMIA puts together and hopefully I’ll try to perform there too! Overall, NYMIA seemed like a promising club to be apart of and I can’t wait to see what it has in store for me.