I joined Free to Be during my first semester! I loved how comfortable I felt in the group and how friendly everybody was. I wanted to be a more involved part in the club, so the next year I ran to be Vice President and got the position! I was Vice President for my sophomore and junior years and loved being part of the leadership, so last year I decided to run for president. Again, I got the position and it has been great to plan meetings and make things happen for the club! Our goals for the semester were to make sure everyone was really enjoying the club and feeling comfortable, as well as trying to collaborate with more clubs on campus to become more involved in that way. So far, we have been able to collaborate with a few different clubs, such as Alianza Latina, over the semester which has been great! We have also had a lot of great meetings which have included a birthday party for everyone, films and discussions about LGBTQA issues, and also just relaxing meetings where we are able to build community.
I find time management to be difficult because I am so busy, but it is very rewarding to see the positive impact Free to Be makes on the community! Outside of Free to Be, I work as a Beauty Advisor at Estee Lauder at Macy’s and am interning at the King Street Center after school program. For fun, I love to play board games, try cooking meals from Pinterest and watch Netflix!! My biggest inspiration in life is my mom. She is an extremely hard worker and gives all of herself to others. She would give her last penny to someone who needs it which has inspired me to do social service work as a career.
One of the best pieces of advice I have ever received was: “Work hard and you will be rewarded” from my dad. I have found this to be true—what you put in does come out. My other favorite piece of advice came from my mother. Whenever I would cram for an exam the night before, my mom would say “You know what you know”. This would make me feel much better about putting down the books and getting some sleep which was always the best choice!
If I could be a Ben and Jerry’s flavor I would be Late Night Snack because my guilty pleasure is eating late at night!