Who We Are

Catherine Chan is an undergraduate currently enrolled in both the Macaulay Honors and BA-MD programs at Brooklyn College. Through her studies, she intends to pursue a career in medicine. Although she has developed an ambitious passion towards the pediatric field, the outcome of her studies remains vast and innumerable.

Through previous Macaulay seminars, I have been exposed to ways in which my fellow New Yorkers, young and old alike, have made the city their own. I learned how we have molded this city into the “empire state.” It has become a metropolis booming with the lives andsounds of people from a palate of backgrounds, each contributing to the story of NYC: a symphony of diversity.

Now, as a student in Seminar 4- Shaping the Future of NYC, I hope to discover the ways in which an individual, whether collectively or on their own, can fashion the city into a more sustainable one. I want to familiarize myself with what is already being done and what can be done to ensure that New York City will never be forgotten. I am a New Yorker after all.

My name is Brigida Pirraglia.  I’ve lived in Brooklyn all my life and I have four sisters: two older and two younger.  I graduated from Leon M. Goldstein High School for the Sciences, formerly known as Kingsborough High School.  I currently have a 4.0 GPA and this is my second year as an undergraduate student in the Macaulay Honors program at Brooklyn College.  I have decided to declare myself an English major and I am considering attending law school after college.  I look forward to exploring the global effects that sustainability in New York City can have and how I can assist in the effort to create a greener world.

Janice Shen was born and raised in Shirley, Long Island. She is currently a sophomore in Brooklyn College and the Macaulay Honors College. Janice, a scholar in the 8-year BA-MD program, is pursuing a chemistry major and a career in medical oncology. In her spare time, she enjoys playing tennis and the piano. In CHC 4, Janice hopes to enrich her understanding of the environment, the ramifications concerning climate change and learn how collectively, the Earth’s inhabitants can help extend the planet’s lifespan by means of mitigation and adaptation.

Nora Curry was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. She attended elementary school and middle school in her home neighborhood of Park Slope and went to high school in Manhattan. After a brief relocation to upstate New York, she enrolled in the Macaulay Honors College at Brooklyn College, where she is currently in her second year, studying English and art.  Nora works in a coffee shop and works on her writing and photography on the side.  She is deeply interested in literature, music, and art and hopes to have a future that somehow includes all three, though her focus will be on pursuing a career in writing. She is looking forward to using

education as a practical tool for creating a more sustainable and environmentally friendly city in CHC 4.

Sunny Liu was born and raised in New Hyde Park, New York and is currently a sophomore enrolled in both the MacaulayHonors College as well as the Coordinated B.A.-M.D. Program at Brooklyn College and SUNY Downstate Medical Center. Although she is an aspiring physician, she has a great passion for the Arts. On her own time she serves as a fencing referee for the New York City Public School Athletic League (PSAL) as well as in Nassau County, a tutor to students on the high school and college level, a student researcher at New York Methodist Hospital in Park Slope, Brooklyn, and a board member for Circle K at Brooklyn College. She enjoys swimming, music, traveling, and photography.

Through other Macaulay Honors seminars Sunny has delved into New York City to discover the profoundness of its art, the seemingly endless depth of its people, and its ever-changing technology. She hopes through her final seminar to uncover innovative ways to make New York City more efficient and eco-friendly, ultimately suggesting a more sustainable way for New Yorkers to live in a bustling Metropolis.

Esther prefers to be called Dassa. She spends much of her time working with people who are young enough to find Sesame Street hysterically funny. Her own sense of humor (tragically, perhaps) is more refined; she consequently spends many hours glued to the radio, listening to reruns of “Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me” and “Whad’Ya Know?” (both on NPR). She also volunteers her time with children with disabilities. Her hobbies include visiting the public library, bike-riding, reading moldering old psychology textbooks, and doing really cool science experiments with children. She is sure she would also enjoy chamber music and ten-pin bowling, if only she knew exactly what they were.

Hi! My name is Aidah Gross.  I have lived in the Bayswater, Far Rockaway section of Queens my entire life and am a graduate of Torah Academy for Girls. I am currently a Sophomore enrolled in the Macaulay Honors College at Brooklyn College and am in the thick of the Pre-med program.  I plan to major in either English or Chemistry, and I hope to one day be a Pediatrician.  When I’m not glued to my chemistry text books I enjoy walking, swimming, reading, listening to music, playing the piano, writing, and cooking.  As an orthodox Jew, I spend a lot of time with my family, interacting with and volunteering in my community, and immersing myself in my colorful culture.  I hope to use the information I gain from this semester’s CHC-4 seminar to further my community involvement and awareness of climate change, and learn how I can try to make a difference.

Hello! My name is Justin Keslowitz, and I am a sophomore in the Macaulay Honors College at Brooklyn College.  I have lived my entire life in Brooklyn, New York, and really enjoy living in the best city in the world.  I am currently majoring in history and plan to go on to law school.  I am particularly interested in Constitutional law, but do not know what type of law I want to go into.  When not studying to become a future lawyer, I enjoy playing music on my alto sax and piano, particularly any Billy Joel or Beatles song.  I also love playing basketball, and spend hours every week doing so (whether inside the West Quad Building or in Marine Park in Brooklyn).  I currently work in the Learning Center in the college as a writing tutor, and enjoy the work that I do there very much.

Tamar Chatzinoff (the older of the two girls pictured) has lived on Long Island all her life, and now has turned to Brooklyn for her college education. She’s thrilled at the options for classes suiting some of her more eclectic interests, the world that Macaulay Honors College has opened for her, and the super-convenient public transportation in the city. She’s currently pursuing a psychology major and spends her free time reading, writing, repairing various electronics, and participating in online non-profit organizations and forums. Her other interests include astronomy, foreign languages, Classical culture, graphics design, the Amazon Rainforest, and literary analyses of pop culture phenomena. As someone who spends almost all of her time with technology, she’s especially pleased to have been assigned to the Power Sources team for this CHC 4.

Yo, what is up everyone? My name is Dane St-Cyr and I am a sophomore at Brooklyn College. My major is philosophy, which is a subject I have a great passion for. On my down time, I practice and train in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as much as possible in addition to bouldering from time to time. I currently live on Staten Island, which is where I have lived for almost my whole life (other than the time I have spent living in Brooklyn). I graduated from Monsignor Farrell H.S., which is an all boys Catholic school. I already have a particular view on climate change, so I’m hoping this class can give me more of the hard facts and numbers of happening

Theresa Dietrich

Hello, hello! Where to begin… I’m twenty years old and hail from the tiny town of New Tripoli, PA. I grew up there with three younger sisters, four cats, and a golden retriever named Sam, though it wasn’t quite as picturesque as it sounds. I currently live in Midwood with my boyfriend and am majoring in creative writing at BC. I hope to work for a magazine or online publication to pay the bills after school while writing my own stuff on the side, and with a little luck write the next great American novel, or at least a decent one. My interests outside of school include writing (obviously), the short story is my favorite form. I also love reading,ting, and all things artistic.

Lashika Yogendran was born in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.  She has also lived in Canada, the United States, and most recently in Shanghai, China, where she graduated from high school.  She is currently a Macaulay Honors College sophomore at Brooklyn College.  Lashika is working towards a double major in Chemistry and Classics, with a minor in Biochemistry.  She hopes to enter medical school with the hope of one day becoming an oncologist.  She loves to volunteer as a Circle K member, and is also working at New York Methodist Hospital in the oncology wing.  Lashika also loves to play the flute, read, and play sports (especially volleyball and soccer).  Through CHC 4, Lashika hopes to learn more about sustainable environments and what plans New York City has on creating a more green city.

Josh Barocas is currently a sophomore at Brooklyn College, majoring in both Music and Psychology.  A native of the borough, he remains active both within the College and the larger Brooklyn community.

After organizing a couple of charity events, he recently opened a pilot program within the Brooklyn College Community Partnership, which offers elective credit to students at the school’s Conservatory of Music for giving free private lessons to underprivileged high school students from the surrounding neighborhoods.

Last summer, Josh and some friends began a small theater company called Me and My Friends, which put on its first original play, The Privilege of Death, at the Gene Frankel Theatre.  The play will be repeated this summer at a new theater in upstate New York.  More recently, he has joined Brooklyn College’s Biomimetics and Cognitive Robotics laboratory, where he is doing research on cephalopod behavior.

Hi ! My name is Leslie Anselme.  I’m a nineteen year old sophomore at CUNY’s Macaulay Honors College at Brooklyn College.  I was raised in Elmont, Long Island, New York — Home of the famous Belmont Racetrack.

As I continue to explore New York City, [I have never set foot in the Bronx or Staten Island] I am constantly amazed by everything — the diversity, the architecture, the public transportation — which is why I typically refer to myself as “so Long Island.”I’m an undeclared Journalism Major with dreams of becoming the next Fernanda Santos, with Carrie Bradshaw’s flair for fashion.  For right now, I spend my time writing for the Brooklyn College Excelsior and volunteering with BC’s Circle K community service club, of which I am Secretary.Along with a degree in Journalism, I plan to graduate from Brooklyn College with a respectable understanding of the New York City subway system… and a job.

Hi everyone!  My name is Yusuf Anwar.  I am a sophomore hereat Brooklyn College. I applied to the Macaulay Honors College because of the incredible resources it offers its students. I cannot emphasize enough how fortunate I feel to have access to these opportunities. As a student in Macaulay, I have been able to travel to many venues in New York City including a select few at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. If I was not a CUNY Honors student, I probably would have missed out on such experiences. I am excited by the goals of CHC4, which include coordinating an effort to learn about the many ways to make New York City more sustainable and  environmentally friendly. Hi Everyone! Aliza Sklar here! I was born in Manhattan, raised in Queens, and moved to Brooklyn at age 10. I’ve also been to the Bronx and Staten Island, so I guess you could say I’m a part of all five Boroughs :). In Queens, I went to YCQ, in Brooklyn, Shulamith School, and abroad I went to Darchei Binah Seminary. Now I’m in Macaulay Honors College and I think the Brooklyn College campus is absolutely amazing. Summer, Winter, Spring, or Fall, this place is gorgeous!I’m not sure yet what I want to do when I graduate, but now it’s time to enjoy my classes (I hope!). In any event, it should be very interesting learning about sustainability and global warming, and it’ll be great to know more (and hopefully sound smart when talking) about these major global issues. In any event, goodbye for now!