Career Path... Maybe?

For a long time I had trouble figuring out what exactly I wanted to do with my life, and what direction I wanted to go into career wise. You know typical college student problems. I had originally come into Fordham with the intention of going into Pre-Law. However, as I got further into my studies and spoke about the future with my professors, I realized that law was something I enjoyed but wasn’t passionate enough to get into years of debt for. While in college, I had also stumbled into a few computer science classes and realized that I really enjoyed this new material and found it thrilling to create programs. Trust me its extremely fun building your first program. I ended up switching into the Computer Science department and declared my major as information science. Which for the most part was great, the workload was difficult but I was learning a whole bunch of material that would be really essential in a future career involving technology. This seemed perfect for me because I strongly feel that we should all be improving our skills in technology because we will only be using more technology from here on. Although again, as much as I really enjoyed the material, I couldn’t imagine myself spending hours sitting behind a desktop solely working on a program and having no interaction with anyone. For me that is difficult because I have worked customer service practically my whole life. So while I can work quite well independently, I needed something that was occasionally much more interactive. I needed something that brought together my technical skills, my creativity, and my social capabilities. I explored through different career options until I finally came across marketing.

I had always secretly thought about a career in marketing, because I believe I hold skills that would fit well in marketing role. I have used basic marketing strategies to increase members in my club on campus; as well as, used those same strategies at work. Although, even though I had always thought about this possibility I always ended up steering away from it because “I wasn’t a business student”. I know crazy right? However, as I dug more and more into a career in marketing, I realized that it was the perfect career path for me, even without a business degree. A marketing position has all the qualities I was looking for: it is interactive and requires good social skills, demands creativity and coming up with innovative ideas, and with the rise of technology it is requiring many technical skills that weren’t necessary before. So I’ve decided to get rid of that “not a business student” mentality and work to use the skills I have gained and apply them towards a possible career in marketing. I’ve created a sort of game plan for myself, where I specified the skills I already have and the ones that I need to work on. This summer will consist of gaining the adequate skills that would potentially make me a more desirable candidate for a marketing position.      

Cuban Artist: Rafael Villares

While on my trip to Cuba, I had the opportunity to meet an amazing Cuban artist named Rafael Villares; his work was both evocative and naturalistic. Villares presented one of two ideas in his artwork: the idea of creating function out of something that appears to be without function; and the relationship between Cubans and Cuban Americans, in regards to the Cuban migration. In one of his function pieces called ‘Breathe’, Villares installed a light box in the center of the floor and created a layer of cracked dirt above the light box. As the observers came into the room, they would immediately be greeted by the rhythmic sounds of breathing that was matched by the intensity of the light shining through the cracks. This would eventually cause the observer to sync their own breathing with that of the “earth” creating the idea that they are one with the environment. Another function piece with a similar idea was ‘Flight’, this piece consisted of a room that had air blowing from the ceiling to the floor, and from the floor to the ceiling. These two forces of air hold up tons of loose bird feathers that were collected for the piece, giving the observer the feeling that they are flying with these feathers. The feathers had already fallen of the birds they belonged to; so this piece emphasized creating function in something that had lost function.

One work that I personally got the chance to see was Villares piece on the Cuban Identity and Relationship. As many know, after the Cuban Migration following the revolution that led Communism, tensions arose between those that remained in Cuba and those that fled to Miami. Hostility has caused many Cubans to disassociate themselves with the ones that fled and consider those to not be “authentic Cubans”. Villares, who holds a different ideology, installed a lamppost in the middle of the central city known as Havana Vieja. This lamppost was split into two, holding two light bulbs, and intertwined with each other to represent a unity. One light bulb was from Cuba; the other was brought from Miami. This symbolized that the Cubans and Cuban Americans may seem to be different but they are in fact intertwined and are one. Villares was a phenomenal artist and I connected deeply with the message he was trying to present. Feel free to check out his website to read more about these pieces and see any new work he may create. http://www.rafaelvillares.com

Las Manos Pa' Arriba

       This is a short video I made of my trip to Cuba. Hopefully this gives you the chance to see a bit of Cuba through my eyes. Although this video gives you an inside look, it only gives you a taste of what I experienced there. Although, I hope it gives you a but more motivation to travel to the marvelous island that is Cuba. Sit back, enjoy y suban las manos pa' arriba!

Cuba Pictures

How was Cuba?

            A lot of people have been asking me this question since I got back from Cuba. It is honestly an extremely difficult and loaded question, which is the reason why I’ve been delaying this post for so long, that, and coming back to a million assignments. I can sit here and write about what I thought about Cuba; but the truth is, Cuba is such a unique travel experience and it’s different for every person that makes it there. Not to mention that it’s really hard to put my whole experience into words. Now that I’ve actually been there, I understand why I couldn’t get an idea of what my trip would be like from the online forums I had looked through. I’m going to try my best to tell you about my experience, but just know that its completely possible for you to go next week and have a completely different experience from what I had.

            Being that my trip was a rather short one, at least I thought so, I didn’t really have a chance to get to know any of the people I went with, except for a couple class meeting here and there. So we all jumped into this brand new country with no familiarity of one another, and no Internet if I might add. Although in the long run, these were the best circumstances. It allowed us all to get much more intimate with each other without the distractions of our devices. We spent almost every night drinking bottles of Havana Club on the porch, talking about subjects that actually mattered. This was especially convenient for me because: sometimes I find myself trying to bring my friends on my trips with me, through my devices. However, this allowed me to really disconnect and focus on what was in front of me.

            Due to all these circumstances, Cuba became quite the ultimate trip for me. With the new mates, I went out exploring and got to ride through Cuba as more of a local and less of a tourist, which is always my main goal. It allowed for plenty of reality checks and recognition of my privilege living in the U.S. It gave me the opportunity to see a country that is constantly criticized in the U.S. for what it is and not what it’s made out to be. Not that it’s perfect, but lets be honest, neither are we. It allowed me to recognize that we are just as brainwashed as every other country we criticize. While exploring the old city, we got the opportunity to meet a local member of the community who took us out and about to the real parts of the city. He showed us what was real and what was commercial, and he even went out clubbing with us. Cuba is honestly filled with so much beauty both internally and externally. The Cuban people are so embracing you can’t help but fall in love. The amount of times I was confused as a Cuban was too many to count. When I told them I was Dominican they embraced me just the same and labeled me as an hermano. I can truly say Cuba influenced my perception of the world, as well as my own personal life and going was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. If any of you guys get the opportunity to go, TAKE IT!! You may have a different experience then what I had, but it will be too unique of a trip to ever regret taking. 

            

I'm Off to Cuba

Ever since I was kid, I've had this tradition I follow before a trip. Right before I'm about to leave for the airport, I'll write a quick reflection about how I feel in that moment. Clearly I wanted to be a writer since adolescence. I figured now that I have this blog, I might as well share my thoughts with the rest of you. I am leaving for my flight in a few hours; I'll be spending the night in Miami and then leaving Saturday morning for Cuba. Somehow it still doesn't feel real, it doesn't feel like I'm going to be in Cuba in a day’s time. As always my anxiety level is at a high. Hahahah. No matter how frequently I travel, I can never get rid of that preflight anxiety. At least I know that the moment I get on that plane, all that anxiety will turn into pure excitement. I am so excited for this trip because unlike my other trips, I don't know what to expect. Few people have gotten the chance to see Cuba for themselves so there isn't too much advice out there. Although, I'm completely fine with exploring the mystery behind Cuba. I cannot wait to go walking through the streets of Havana and find hidden gems throughout the city. I'm packed and I'm ready. Wish me luck! 

NYC SALT

   In college, it’s very easy to get wrapped up in schoolwork, jobs, internships, etc. Sometimes you forget to take a step back and remember where you came from and how you got there. There’s a special program that I hold close to my heart that I want to dedicate this post to. NYC SALT, “ a non-profit photography program serving inner city teenager. Through professionally led instruction, we seek to engage, inspire and empower kids to have a voice in their world and become all that they are created to be.” To the public this might seem like a well-crafted mission statement used to appeal to the masses. Looking at this statement now, I know all too well how accurate these words are. SALT was so much more than just an after school program to me, it was a home away from home. As a kid I was always interested in photography, which is what first brought me to their front door. Little did I know I would learn so much more then just photography skills. They taught that sometimes things don’t come automatically; every skill requires you to keep working on it week by week; each time improving just a little more. They taught me to always be open to criticism, because every critic is a new opportunity to learn. At SALT, I learned to look deeper into things and find different meanings. I remember when our assignment was to shoot clutter; I took a picture of my grandmother’s room. At the time, I just saw a messy room; although now, after my grandmother has passed away, I see so much more in my own picture. I see so much of whom she was and what she believed in, (things I wouldn’t normally see in glammed up pictures of her). SALT was more than just a photography class. They took the time to help whenever we needed them. When it came to inquiring about scholarships, or just looking over college essays they were always there. So I just wanted to give a big THANK YOU to everyone at SALT, although I don’t show it enough, I really appreciate everything you’ve done for me. You’ve helped shape who I am today.