Meet Licelot; a 12th grader in CV’s class of 2017! She was born and raised in the Dominican Republic and currently attends E-Cubed Academy. Licelot plans to pursue a career in the medical field; read her interview below to find out why!
Can you tell me a little about yourself?
I was born and raised in the Dominican Republic, originally from the province of Dajabón. I attend E-Cubed Academy and I’m currently a senior graduating this year. My plan right now is to follow the pre-med path and possibly major in anthropology or biology. What inspires me to pursue these fields is that I want to keep fighting for justice within underdeveloped communities that are in need of adequate medical care. I believe that growing up in a country where medical assistance wasn’t the same for everyone shaped my perspective when it came to justice in poor communities. I LOVE telenovelas, historical Korean dramas, knitting, and listening to Dominican folkloric music. I also like playing the guitar; I play malageñas, but I love discovering new music.
What has your CV experience been like so far?
My CV experience has been great! I really appreciate the help and guidance I’m receiving from my advisor Francesca and the rest of the CV staff while applying to college. As a first-generation student, I couldn’t rely on my parents with some of the information I needed, but my advisor at college visions offered me the extra assistance that I needed. I’m so happy that there was a place where I could go and get my college applications done, plus help editing my essays and getting information about scholarships and workshops.
What type of experience(s) have you had with being a student activist?
As an activist, I had the opportunity to collaborate with my peers and people from the community of Providence in order to advocate for the rights of students within the Providence Public School System, by striving to create a more inclusive educational environment in which there is student input while the decisions that affect us are being made. As a member of the Providence Student Union, I had the opportunity to organize campaigns such as the Ethnic Studies Campaign, which asked for a history course specifically for African American, Native American, Latino, and Asian history. Our campaign to establish a movement for the integration of Ethnic Studies classes was ultimately one of our most impactful. This project allowed us to hear others’ perspectives, promote youth voice and empowerment, and engage in a collaborative act of justice. As well as conducting the PVD Student Walkout at my high school on January 20th of 2017. Since we students didn’t get the chance to vote during the election, we wanted to express our sentiments towards the president-elect Trump.
Why do you think it is important for you to speak up about this issue?
I believe it’s important for us as students to address the issues that we identify in order to create change in our environment. My personal mission is to fight for the ideologies and activities that I have invested in and I want to inspire the rest of my peers to pursue their goals without limitations; that being young or of color aren’t obstacles if you want to fight for better things in your community. Being a student in an inner city high school, I see the disadvantages and lack of resources that students in public schools have here in Providence. I feel that it’s extremely important to address these issues as the inequity in school is explicitly clear, and I want us collectively as students to collaborate together and keep fighting against the position that system has put us in.
Has being in CV influenced or helped you in any way?
I really appreciate that the community at CV has always supported me and encouraged me to pursue my goals because they believe in my potential to achieve success. CV has made me more savant of the college application process, and how to target for specific things that colleges look for. Which is information I wouldn’t have received without them before my senior year of high school. I think I became a better writer with the help of my advisor and the countless sessions of editing we had. I really enjoy expressing my perspective and ideas, and now I’ve become better at essays, analysis, reflections and persuading my audience through my writing.
Thank you Licelot for speaking up about the issues that affect you and many in your community; your voice is powerful!
