On Home…

My parents moved from the Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico and had me and my brother. I came to the states when I was just three, and grew up in New Jersey. I was very close with my mom’s side of the family, and I grew up very close to my cousins and their parents on that side. I lived with my mom, brother, grandma, and grandpa for a little before he moved back to the DR. 

I now live with my brother, mom, and my dog, a 3-year old labrador-shiba inu mixed named Baldo who is the cutest dog in the world and the best friend I could ever ask for. Although we don’t live as close to them anymore, I’m still very close with my grandma, cousins, and aunt and uncle. My mom visits them almost every day, and I visit them every time I go home for weekends.

 

On Emma…

I love Emma. I feel like going to an all-girls school that isn’t as restrictive as all-girls schools usually are, is exactly the environment I need for highschool. I feel comfortable to be myself here and I’m not scared of judgment. I applied to Emma through a program called A Better Chance (ABC), which is a program for students of color to get matched with schools affiliated with the program based on their compatibility. I first heard about Emma through one of the orientation programs held by ABC where a scholar of the program who at the time went to Emma mentioned the school and how much she enjoyed her time here, so I decided to do some research about it and it quickly became my first choice. 

It was just far enough for me to grow my independence while still being able to come home every so often (thanks to my wonderful mother who makes a four hour round trip for me every other weekend). My first time on campus was during Envision Emma, and I immediately knew that this was the environment I wanted to grow in. 

Emma is where I met some of my best friends and made some of my most incredible memories, so it will always hold a special place in my heart.   

 

On the performing arts…

I love the performing arts. My dad is a musician, so music has always been a huge part of my life. I love anything to do with it really. I’ve been singing since I could talk, and it’s always been something I consider less of a hobby and more as just who I am. 

I also started dancing when I was ten, and I immediately fell in love with the artistry of dance, and the relationship between my movements and the music. Here at Emma, I participate in Choir, Inner Choir, and Semiquavers, and I take Advanced Ballet, Advanced Contemporary, and the Choreography Workshop class, putting me on track to hopefully be an Emma Artist next year.  

There's always more to learn, especially in art.  As the world changes and grows, art develops with it, and I will always enjoy learning more and more about my passions. 

 

 

On exploring visual art…

This year, I’m taking an Intro to Drawing class, and although I went into the class just needing a visual art credit, I’m finding that I’m not as bad at drawing as I thought I would be.  I’ve always put most of my time into the performing arts, but I think moving forward I might enjoy developing new skills in the visual arts as well.

 

On favorite Emma traditions…

Ring Siblings!! Although I can’t have one yet, I witnessed a couple proposals last year and I feel like it’s the sweetest tradition here! Seeing friends come together and perform songs and dances, sometimes embarrassing themselves publicly for their friend is such a selfless act, and it's very sweet to see the connection between friends in real time. It feels like such a real declaration of appreciation and love, and it shows the kind of friendships that last lifetimes.