Do you want to know what students in CV’s College Success Program are up to? Here’s a short roundup of some of the exciting news from our students!
Lizbeth Avalos, Rhode Island College ’17
“Studying abroad in Florence was indubitably one of the best experiences of my life. With the help of my host family, I was able to truly immerse into the culture and experience day-to-day life as Florentine. On weekdays I studied advanced Italian for my minor and on weekends I traveled to various Italian cities, as well as England, France, Germany, Switzerland and Spain. My travels exposed me to a variety of people, cuisines and cultures, but perhaps the most culturally enriching experience I partook in abroad was volunteering as an EMT assistant for 3 months with the Fratellanza Militare in Florence. By choosing to volunteer, I evolved from a simple American study abroad student to an active member of the Florentine community. I assisted people in need, learned about my host city’s health care system, visited various homes and hospitals, and saw a side of Florence only locals get to experience. While performing my duties, I strengthened my Italian language skills, solidified my interest in medicine, and made life-long friends. I believe my whole experience abroad strengthened me as a person. I feel more confident and capable than ever to be independent, to help people in need, to study other languages, to experience other cultures, to keep on traveling, to take on the world and to succeed in everything I set my mind to. Studying abroad was definitely THE best experience of my life.”
Anta Touray, Barnard College ’17
“I am honored to be a Mellon Fellow as I truly believe that little by little we are contributing to changing the face of academia, transforming it until it reflects the diversity of social economic origin, political inclination, and race in this country. Being a Mellon Fellow afforded me the opportunity to travel to Paris last summer to conduct research in the French archives. My research is a critical reading of the French Revolution following the contradiction between slavery and freedom, through understanding how French planters articulated their right to deny slaves rights based on the revolution’s Declaration of the Rights of Man.”
Benjamin Concepcion, University of Rhode Island ’17
“I could have never seen in my future that I would be in Bhutan. Every morning I see the Himalayas when I wake up! To be honest, I have disliked school, but what I am realizing is that without higher education I would not be who I am today and who I will be once I cross that stage. Bhutan was a dream and now it is a reality, graduation was a dream and soon it will be a moment in my life. College Visions has helped me realize dreams are just goals in the near future. I owe CV.”
Christopher Fevry, Bentley University ’17
“This semester I have been focused on launching my startup. MyBarber allows people to get haircuts whenever or wherever is convenient for them. Through our crowdfunding campaign we were able to raise over $4,000. My time is currently consumed with classes, moving MyBarber forward, and spending time with my friends.” Check out MyBarber at https://www.mybarber.co/
