If you don't know Darriel's name now, you will soon enough. As an English major with minors in Global Studies and Video Production, Darriel has thrived at Marist College and is now looking forward to the next chapter of her life, and the vast multitude of opportunities that lie ahead of her. Darriel, a senior from Bronx, NY, has paved a tremendous path for herself here at Marist with her involvement and high accolades, but her achievements here are only the beginning of where her intellect and determined nature will take her. Can you run us through everything that you’ve applied for and been awarded this year? This year, I applied to three graduate school programs. I was accepted into two programs. The first was the Sociology and Education Masters at Columbia’s Teachers College. The second program I was accepted to was New York University’s International Education Masters. I also applied to the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Fellowship in South Africa. I am currently the first Marist student to be awarded a teaching fellowship for the South Africa program. In addition, I applied for a summer human rights fellowship called Humanity in Action. I am also the first Marist student to be awarded this phenomenal opportunity to spend one month in Europe. How did Marist play a role in this process? My support system at Marist College has grown immensely since my time as a freshman. I have my professors, mentors, and advisors to thank for that. Career Services has played a major role in my success as well. I have worked with Pat Taylor since my freshman year scouting various opportunities that have helped me plan ahead and figure out what I need to do in order to achieve these opportunities. I have taken on study abroad and internship opportunities that have aided in my ability to achieve all my goals. What made you choose South Africa for the Fulbright? I was inspired to pursue the ETA Fulbright in South Africa by the country’s rich culture, history, and especially its current efforts toward promoting racial equity and quality education in schools. Although my educational experience is not identical to that of South African youth, their experiences resonate with my own. For me, being a woman of color has made my educational experience difficult. Not only have I had to overcome stereotypes about my cultural background, but I have struggled with feeling equally connected to both my African and Latin heritage. I grew up in an English-speaking household; thus, many of the traditional values of my heritage were lost along with our native language. My hope is that, by exploring identity, I will promote a culturally inclusive classroom where I can both improve my understanding of South African identity in the post-apartheid period and share my own experience with becoming grounded in my hyphenated American identity. I want to encourage students to be grounded in their unique identities too through the use of the arts such as dance, art, poetry, and storytelling. Unfortunately, we live in a world where sometimes being different makes you the “other” and to be the other, you are often subject to discrimination and marginalization. My identity is one thing that I intend to defend along with the identity of others. South Africa is the perfect place to continue building my foundation as a leader and agent of social change. What motivated you to apply for so many post-grad opportunities? We don’t know what the future holds, so I have always been the kind of person that appreciated having a variety of options. Honestly, I would rather have a handful of opportunities to choose from than just one. I was definitely worried about where I would end up post-grad, like many seniors are. Fulbright was one post-grad opportunity that I have wanted since my freshman year at Marist. At the start of my application process, I only had a 14% chance of being selected. With that in mind, I was evidently inclined to apply to other opportunities, just in case things did not work out the way I intended. However, once I became a Fulbright semi-finalist, that number drastically changed. I later came across the Humanity in Action Fellowship, another opportunity that I had become passionate about. I decided to take chances with each opportunity and see where each would take me. I learned that it is better to try and fail than to not try at all. The anxiety of the waiting period was tortuous, but clearly worth it. Is there anything you can point to that shaped your college experience and led you to where you are now? I definitely think that being a first generation college student and the first Marist student to study abroad in a place like Western Samoa has definitely shaped my college experience. My study abroad experience showed me the value of becoming comfortable with the uncomfortable. I had homestays in Samoa, Fiji, and American Samoa and was even able to travel to Australia at the end of my program. I believe that I am who I am today because of my courage to take the road less traveled. I trust myself enough to take on opportunities that challenge me to become the best version of myself and expand my worldview. It has not all been easy, but each opportunity has been a blessing that has aided me in my growth as a young woman and as a leader. My internship last summer at Literacy Connections through the Marist Tarver Internship program is another experience that has shaped who I am today. I spent six weeks taking a 1-credit course titled "Non-Profits and Civic Engagement" while interning four days a week at a local non-profit teaching English to adult immigrants. This opportunity inspired me to continue making a difference in the lives of others. Growing up in the South Bronx, I was not awarded the same educational opportunities as other students. My passion for education equity and social justice stems from a very personal place. Each opportunity I pursue, in some way, aids me in discovering my truth while helping others discover theirs. What advice do you have for up and coming go-getter students seeking big opportunities? My advice is to never let an opportunity pass you by. It is better to try and fail than to never try at all. Life can be intimidating, people can be intimidating, but my advice is to always reinforce positive self-talk. Believe in yourself and your ability to achieve greatness. Be bold and be confident, but always remain humble. One of the most important things to do moving forward and with anything in life is to PLAN AHEAD! If there is an opportunity you want, do your research. Figure out what smaller opportunities you can go for that will bring you one step closer toward your goals. Remember that life is not a straight path. There will be bumps along the way, but remain patient and understand that this is a process, just like anything else. I was very discouraged in the past by my failure to obtain certain opportunities, but everything happens for a reason. Failure will just bring you closer to what is truly meant for you. Stay focused and stay hungry for opportunity. What do you see yourself doing in the future? What’s your dream job? During my senior year of high school, I was awarded the Gates Millennium Scholarship. This is a 10-year scholarship that provides students with the opportunity to receive their Undergraduate, Masters, and Doctoral degrees for free. Within the next few years, I will be working toward completing my Masters and Doctoral degrees. This fall, I will start a Masters program at the school of my choosing (tbd!) before taking a year off to pursue my Fulbright fellowship. Later, I hope to complete a Doctoral Degree in Education Policy. My mission as an agent of change is to serve communities like my own that experience a multitude of educational injustices. I look forward to working collegially with forward thinkers in the future to develop innovative strategies for achieving education equity in the years to come. As a future policy maker, I seek to inspire others to begin bridging the gap between current policies and the ways in which their implementation have different impacts on the lives of diverse student populations. As I said before, we do not know what the future holds. All I can hope is that with each day that passes, I continue to grow into exactly who I am meant to be, even if the path takes me places I never intended it to.
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