Student Bios

Megan Govin: Arts and Culture

I am majoring in English with a concentration in creative writing and I also love reading. I though that this class and the final project were very interesting. I really enjoyed visiting the Greenlight Bookstore and the Flatbush library for this project.

Jessica Penn: Cricket, More Than Just a Sport

My name is Jessica Penn and I am studying Biomedical Engineering. I have always loved sports so getting to learn about cricket has been so much fun. I did not know anything about cricket before but have learned so much about the specifics of the game and what it means to the people who play it. This project has given me a new perspective on sports. 

Mia Chin: The Hair Industry

I am a freshman studying biology major at the City College of New York. In my free time I enjoy long distance running and writing poetry. I am deeply grateful that this project afforded me the chance to appreciate the intrinsic beauty of Black hair. I can confidently say that my peers have given me greater insight into such a delicate topic. 

Susan Evans: Literature & Activism in the Caribbean Diaspora 

Hi! I’m Susan, a freshman and history major at the Macaulay Honors College at CCNY. This class taught me how much can happen in the smallest of spaces, like the Caribbean, and how far reaching its impact can be. 

Taryn Watkins: Religion and Identity

As the daughter of an Air Force pilot, I have moved around a lot in my life, and even now I am going to a college out of state. I have never identified with any one group of people. Learning about the Caribbean diaspora has been extremely interesting to me because of the overarching bond people in the diaspora share with one another.

Jonas Urena: Music in the Identity of the NYC Caribbean Diaspora

I’m a 19 year old freshman, looking to become a Physical Therapist. I’m interested in all things singing and music, tv/cartoons, and food. I enjoyed learning about Caribbean culture in NYC firsthand from those with an actual Caribbean background in areas such as Flatbush, Brooklyn.

Meena Natarajan: Arts and Culture of the Caribbean Diaspora 

I am a freshman majoring in psychology and minoring in art. The People of NYC allowed me to understand in depth the Caribbean immigrants who live in New York City, and I personally enjoyed speaking to a Caribbean artist and being able to relate to her desire to create art that is meaningful to herself and to her community.

Elijah Maduro: Arts and Culture

I am a freshman at the Macaulay Honors College studying Jazz Instrumental Performance and minoring in Mathematics. In my spare time, I enjoy practicing my instruments (Tenor Sax, Clarinet, and Flute), drawing, playing video games and walking around my hometown in Long Island. One of the things I enjoyed the most about this class was the Flatbush walk. It was nice to experience walking through an area I had never been in before and learn about the culture first hand through some of the community members.

Guy Carlose Villette: Export and Import 

I’m an electrical engineering major who is also pursuing a minor in computer science. My goals in life are to make enough money to live comfortably. One of the most essential things I learned from the class is that Caribbean is spelled with one “r” and two “b’s” and not the other way around

Reid Vero: Diasporic Business- Gentrification of NYC

My name is Reid Vero. I’m a biology major, and am planning to minor in chemistry and film studies. I think this class was interesting because I learned a lot about different cultures that I hadn’t been exposed to up to this point in my life.

Qing Ning Huang: Arts and Culture

My name is Qing Ning Huang and I’m a first-year mechanical engineering student at CCNY. Through this class, I got to learn a lot about the West Indies diaspora in New York City. With the project, it was interesting to see many of the topics discussed in class exemplified in the real world. Topics such as the diasporic identity and transnational ties were all touched upon through the project.