Name: Juliana Quintero
Hometown: Rockaway, NJ
Undergrad: BA in Communication — May 2014
o Major – Interpersonal Communication
o Minor – Public Relations
Grad: MA in Professional Communication — May 2016
o Concentration – Strategic & Corporate Communication
Involvement: President of Lambda Pi Eta, Beta Xi Chapter
Fun Facts: I know three languages English, Spanish and American Sign Language. I am certified as an EMT, Ice & Water Rescue and I was born in Manizales, Colombia!
Favorite Quote:
HC: What made you choose to go William Paterson?
JQ: After finishing my associates at County College of Morris I was working full-time at a job where I worked with a large team in sales, training, and technology. I really wanted a program that connected what I was doing and what I would be passionate about learning. A concentration in interpersonal communication is not that common for undergraduate studies, before searching for the right program I never thought about it.
HC: Thus far, what has been the hardest obstacle in college?
JQ: Figuring out how to pay for school. Why can’t higher education be free? Ultimately education is the empowerment of our society.
HC: You were recently hired as a Graduate Assistant; how do you manage to keep up with everything you’re involved with and school work?
JQ: Prioritizing, planning, and really letting go of perfection. I struggle with that last one. My work is a reflection of myself but within letting go of perfection is a life lesson to be learned. Also, scheduling “me” and “social” time is really important. I go to the gym or run outside about 4 to 5 times a week and try to keep a well-rounded clean diet, drinking lots of water and coffee. My family and friends understand what I am doing and are supportive throughout the semester.
HC: Tell us about your blog! What do you want people to take away from it?
JQ: My blog is about exploring what it means to identify with various cultures and how that shapes the person we are. I was inspired by Sam DeMuro’s Italian American Women Visibility Project –she created it because the Internet for “Italian American Women” was saturated by Jersey Shore cast members, Soprano characters, and other stereotypical film representations. These depictions were insufficient expressions of what it means to be an Italian American woman, so she did something about it. I felt like I needed to do something about Colombian American women because I found very similar results.
As a Colombian-American woman, I chose to investigate what it means to identify with various cultures and reflect on the intersection of my identities. Through this project, I have been able to interview other women about their experiences and connect with Colombian-Americans around the world.
Website: C.A.Women Project
Twitter: @CAWomenProject
Instagram: @ColombianaAmericana
Tumblr: ColombianaAmericana
HC: Take us back to your undergraduate experience. Do you have any words of advice for students graduating this May?
JQ:
1. Don’t stress.
2. Be realistic in what your goals are and if you haven’t thought about them do that know. You’re in a perfect transition in life. I’ve come to learn that resume skills are acquired through the experiences you put yourself in how you recognize those skills and become an expert is all really critical thinking.
3. Reflect on everything you have been exposed to throughout your undergraduate journey even if you think it might have been a waste a time – I can almost guarantee there is a learning opportunity waiting to be found.
4. Lastly, I cannot emphasis this – try to recognize your personal values and incorporate them in your everyday life. That I think is ultimately what we should be striving for.
5. Have fun!
HC: Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
JQ: Well I have another year in grad school. I know I want to travel and help people with my various abilities of communication. I hope to pursue a PhD perhaps in cultural anthropology although there’s still time to decide.
HC: If you could have dinner with someone dead, fictional and alive, who would they be? Why?
JQ: I would love to join Samantha, Carrie, Charlotte, and Miranda for brunch. I relate to all four and a sucker for a great drama filled love story. These four ladies are fearless, sexy and successful women in their own way. Who wouldn’t want them as their friends?
I would have coffee with David Brooks. My mentor, Prof. Edmund Gordon, introduced me to his writing. He started off by occasionally sending me Brooks’ articles and soon enough I was hooked. His latest article on The Morale Bucket List has been the most impactful and I want to share it with everyone I can. I would take the opportunity during our coffee date to make it a weekly thing. I’d love to exchange ideas and learn from someone like him.
I would like to have dinner with Ernest Hemingway. I would want to ask him about becoming a writer. He had the gift of seducing readers with his words. I think writers are bold and necessary for to society regardless of what they write about – it’s real and pure human emotion that they invoke. He was amazing at it.
HC: If there was one thing that you could change about William Paterson, what would that be?
JQ: Since I spend so much time at Hobart Hall I wish we had more food options in the building aside from the vending machines. I’m sure everyone else can relate!
HC: What does being a Pioneer mean to you?
JQ: Being a Pioneer has always meant taking on challenges, exploring new territories metaphorically & literally, being a leader, making decisions and being confident. I like that WP uses “Pioneer” to help us identify with these characteristics. Before transferring I considered myself a pioneer and now more then ever.
HC: When you graduate William Paterson, what impression do you want to leave behind?
JQ: I hope that my peers and professors see me as a resource. I decided to build a relationship with everyone here, and I hope to continue cultivating it even after I graduate.