M.A. Student – Class of 2022

Citizenship: United States

Go-go music, blue crabs, and thousands of miles of shoreline are all things I love about my home state of Maryland. However, it wasn’t until I discovered New York’s international house-ballroom scene that I attributed a global context to my idea of home. Though I belong to an immigrant family, I actually ascribe much of my identity to the process of finding a “chosen family” through a diversity of voices. And because of those unique experiences, I work very hard to increase political literacy among youth; to connect QBIPOC+ and minority-owned businesses to economic resources, and to bridge communities that traditionally do not intersect. This is supported by my strong interests and previous research in algorithmic justice, visual representations of resistance, and the digital transformation of all creative industries.

Ultimately, I want to positively impact disruptive innovators who always take into consideration a global history, community, and lineage. That is why I not only have the professional goal of continuing my research/entrepreneurial career in other countries, but I also hope to explore the “cultural leader” as an institution itself.