Hometown: Washington Heights, New York City, NY
What's something on your bucket list?
I want to visit 500 cities.
What actor would you cast to play yourself in a movie about yourself and why?
It would have to be between Sanaa Lathan or Keke Palmer. I think Sanaa is a great actress also from New York who emanates my energy. Keke is funny like me and likes to enjoy life in simple ways.
What's your favorite place you've traveled to and why?
Jamaica because of the culture and food!
Favorite family tradition:
I have a lot of family in Providence, Rhode Island. We always try to get together a couple times a year where we just play music, dance, and eat a lot of delicious Dominican food!
What is your proudest accomplishment?
I would say all of my equity work wihtin the STEM field. In undergrad I helped start the Society in Underrepresented STEM and then the NSM Coalition, which ultimately got consumed by the Office of Community & Equity and turned into an institutional program. At Concord Academy I was a part of a one-year initiative, the STEM Equity Task Force, with the goal to create an intuitional action plan to retain students of color who wanted to pursue STEM and be successful.
What did you want to be when you were small?
I wanted to become an architect. Growing up in New York City, I was always fascinated with how different neighborhoods looked and where I had a sense of belonging. I loved to make things with my hands. The older I got, the more I realized I was actually interested in the built environment and planning.
What is your latest book recommendation?
The Patternist Series by Octavia Butler. It is a four-book series. I love her work.
Your life story in one sentence:
All that you touch, you change and all that you change, changes you.
My favorite restaurant in Atlanta:
Tom, Dick, and Hank, a black owned establishment with amazing southern food and the best happy hour. I came to ATL because I wanted to be around other Black folks and I love that so many places have that energy! Although it is sad to see rapid development and an influx of big businesses starting to play a large role of displacement and gentrification.
My favorite comfort food or family recipe:
A dish we call Sancocho. It is like gumbo but with plantanos, yuca, corn, etc. and love.
