Maria Caram Gonzalez is a senior at Manhattanville, hailing from the Dominican Republic. She always wanted to come to Manhattanville, especially after giving her a financial offer that was perfect for her. Being far away from home can be difficult though, “It feels like I am two separate people, because the live I live in DR and the one I live here are almost completely different. I always hate leaving. “
Maria is a double major in English Literature and History, with a minor in Spanish, “I’d always wanted to study Literature — I’ve been in love with books all my life. So I came in already being settled on that major. Doing the double major with History was never part of my plan, but I took a bunch of History classes my Freshman year. My Professors would constantly come up to me and ask “So… have you declared your History major yet?” They asked so many times that eventually I caved in. It was actually kind of funny.”
Maria is a part of the Manhattanville History club, which meets Monday nights (Ask for more details if you see her!), and as edited for Graffiti, Manhattanville’s Literary Magazine. To add to her agenda, Maria is also a member of Manhattanville’s Castle Scholars Program.
The college journey isn’t always easy, and friends and professors can make the job easier. “I think a lot of students have not been happy with the support they’ve received from this school, but I’ve actually had a pretty fantastic experience. I’ve found constant support in this school: from my friends, my professors, my supervisor in the ARC and the Writing Center, even from the Cafeteria staff! (Chartwells may suck, but most the people who work there are awesome)…My favorite Professor is Meghan Freeman. She’s an incredible instructor; she’s incredibly inspiring and engaging. She’s one of the main reasons why I’m considering becoming a Professor — because I want to have the same impact on other students that she’s had on me.”
As an English Literature and History major, Maria has taken some interesting classes during her time at Manhattanville, but one sticks out above them all. “Anarchy in the US, and it was perhaps the best classroom experience I’ve ever had. The subject matter was fascinating, but we had the most amazing group of students. We were all engaging with the material. But more than that, we were debating everything. Things got heated! And even though students had some pretty intense disagreements, it was cool seeing that kind of passion in a classroom. I’ve never seen that again.”
If you see Maria on campus, make sure to say hi! Here are a few facts to get the conversation going!
Favorite Musician: Florence Welch (Of Florence and the Machine) and Residente (Of Calle 13)
Favorite Movie:Midnight in Paris
Favorite Cereal: Cini Minis