“I grew up in Allentown, Pennsylvania, that’s where I’m from. My dad is from Trinidad, so I grew up going back and forth, that really influenced how I was raised – really old school. When I came to college, I was declared a global studies major. It seemed cool to me, but I didn’t really have a plan. Eventually, I realized I loved learning about the world and the structure of the world and why things are the way they are. The thing with global studies is that it’s really intertwined with geography and sociology and looking at the world with a cultural perspective and how that influences the structure and buildup of everything around us. So, what I’m doing now is incorporating digital mapping … I’m learning how to create maps and represent the statistics that are major issues that everybody wants to voice but doesn’t know how to project. I take that data and I turn it in to a map. Hofstra has really provided all these skills for me. It’s a great department – very hands on and helpful. This past summer I had the opportunity to study abroad through Hofstra. I went on the European Odyssey. We went to 11 countries and 28 global cities within three months. We took 15 academic credits – five courses through Hofstra. It was the most enriching experience of my life academically, personally and professionally. I was able to incorporate everything that I learned through the opportunities provided to me, not only through my classes, but the networking opportunities I’ve had, the international opportunities, the panels and the speakers, it’s a really enriching experience and to be able to incorporate what I’m being taught into my real life is a great experience. Right now, I’m learning about the migrant crisis and how population geography is impacting economies all over the world. [I’m also learning] why people are going to where they’re going and what we as people need to be doing to accommodate them, and what’s being done and what’s not being done. My professors are helping me gain the skills to eventually be able to create a series of maps that represent crises all over the world. I want to focus on the Caribbean though, because that’s home. I can see how the crises, particularly with Venezuela, are affecting Trinidad and I want to show it, I want to visualize it. I want people to see what’s really happening. As people, we have to see it, that’s just how it clicks.”