Riana Ramirez is a senior from New York, NY majoring in English and minoring in public relations and Latin American & Caribbean Studies. She is a part of the Honors Program at Marist, as well as Sigma Tau Delta (the English Honor Society), Women’s Rugby, ARCO, and BSU.

What made you decide to come to Marist?
Since I’m from NYC, I wanted to go somewhere that wasn’t too far, and Marist is the perfect distance. My guidance counselor in high school had come to Marist so I already knew a lot about the school. I really loved the academics and opportunities Marist had to offer, and when I came to visit I instantly fell in love with the campus.

What drew you to the study abroad program in the Dominican Republic?
The whole mission of the program really interested me. I was really drawn into participating in a program that helped teach children in the Dominican Republic about technology, and it was also a great opportunity for me to practice my Spanish. My family is also from the Dominican Republic so I was really interested in being able to go back to my family’s country and make a difference.

What was your favorite part of your experience with the program?
My favorite part was working with the children in the schools. They were all so eager and excited to be working with technology. My group was working on robots and everyone was so excited to play with the robots. It was also a lot of fun teaching them how to use them. Since I went as a Spanish student, not computer science, I was kind of learning how to use them as well, so it was fun to learn and teach at the same time.

Can you talk about your experience with the Tarver Summer Internship program?
I did the Tarver internship this summer at Catholic Charities. I worked for their Office of New Americans which is their immigration department. I also helped create a community resource guide in English and Spanish for people in the community to be able to access information on necessary resources regardless of their immigration status. It was a really great experience and I learned so much. I really loved being able to work and immerse myself in the community and make an impact on people’s lives.

What advice do you have for high school juniors and seniors considering Marist?
A piece of advice I always give to high school students is to be open-minded about college, be open-minded about where they want to go and be open-minded once they get there. College is an adventure and you never know what’s going to happen next. Marist has a lot to offer so just be open to the experience and enjoy it.

 

Written by Nicole Benedetto '18