Student Voices Fall 2017 Issue

Student Voices The College of Westchester

A Publication of the Student Government Association

The Just Dance Crew posing at CW’s Hispanic Heritage Celebration Read more on Page 5

FA L L 2 0 1 7

CONTENTS

04.

C W Te c h D o c t o r s

06.

National Medical Assistant Recognition Week

09.

N a t i o n a l Tr e n d i n g To p i c s

10.

The Power of Friendship: Michael Perrone

12-13.

Meet the Artist: Lori Derby

21.

Voter Registration Event

2

|

FA L L 2 0 1 7

fALL 2017

|

3

The Network Technologies Association (NTA) Presents

(Formerly PC Doctor)

Since we fix more than just PCs, we changed our name (and email address) to better reflect the service we offer.

Schedule Drop off Hours: • Monday & Wednesday from 8:00am - 2:00pm in room 203 • Tuesday & Thursday from 8:00am - 1:00pm in room 203

Do you need help…

•

With your Smart Device? (i.e. Phone & Tablet Screen Replacement)

•

With installing new hardware or software?

•

Cleaning your PC that is infested with a virus/spyware?

•

With backing up your data?

•

Re-installing Windows?

•

Because your computer just won’t boot?

All of these services and more are available to you for just a small donation to the NTA. (If your situation makes this difficult, please see us and we will make the arrangements to accommodate you).

For an appointment, contact us at: cwtechdoctors@cw.edu

Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from mid-September to mid-October by celebrating the vibrant culture of Latin American countries. The Hispanic Heritage month is a time for celebrating the culture, art, and achievements of Hispanic people. CW joined the celebrations by providing traditional food from Latin America, as well as a performance by the Just Dance Crew.

Also, in an effort to help the victims of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Caribbean Student Association raised funds during the event.

FA L L 2 0 1 7 |

5

NATIONAL MEDICAL ASSISTANT RECOGNITION WEEK October 16 - October 20

10/16 - DAY 1

10/17 - DAY 2

During the second day of the National Medical Assistant Recognition Week, we feature the School of Allied Health at The College of Westchester.

The School of Allied Health is a leader in educating innovative and responsible allied health professionals. Graduates of our Medical Assistant Management and Health Information Management programs, 10/18- DAY 3 leave CW ready to fill the ever-increasing We continue the National demands of our community for excellence in Medical Assistant Recognition healthcare services. Our programs offer robust Week. Estelle Coffino, Program connections to clinical educators and advisory Director/Chairperson of council in the healthcare community. the Allied Health Programs joins the celebrations, and 10/19 - DAY 4 congratulates our Medical The celebration Assistants Students! “CW is emphasizes the role of proud of our Medical Assistants who are dedicated medical assistants in and compassionate members of the health care the healthcare system team, and who make a significant contribution to and it’s celebrated by the quality of health care delivery to patients of all many professionals ages. Our graduates will not only be trained to make nationwide with the a living, but even more importantly, they will have the help of American requisite skills to make a difference in a patient’s life.

Medical Technologists In today’s medical professions, you will always find (AMT), a nonprofit that beside every great doctor is a skillfully trained organization which medical assistant impacting the lives of their patients provide certification service for many allied they provide care for every day. We are thrilled that health professionals. Congratulations to all our they are given a week of recognition as it is so well Medical Assistant Students. deserved.”

Just like any other professional society, medical assistants also have their own week. It’s called Medical Assistant Recognition Week here in the US, and is celebrated October 16-20 under the theme of ‘Medical Assistants at the Heart of Health Care.’ National Medical Assistant Week has been celebrated since 1984.

10/20 - DAY 5 We are ending the Medical Assistants Recognition Week. Veronica Jones is an Allied Health instructor at CW who recognizes the vital contribution that Medical Assistants make to the quality of health care. She’s been working with them for over a decade and she also joins the celebrations.

6

|

FA L L 2 0 1 7

“I have been educating and working with Medical Assistants for the last 15 years.

They are a vital part of the healthcare team, work extremely hard and truly deserve the recognition they receive during Medical Assistant Recognition Week. A job well done and Congratulations to all.”

APPLy for your bachelor's degree @ ®

SCHOOL OF BUSINESS BBA, Business Administration BBA, Business Administration - Concentration in Digital Marketing & Design

SCHOOL OF ACCOUNTING BBA, Accounting

SCHOOL OF ALLIED HEALTH BBA, Healthcare Services Administration

SCHOOL OF DIGITAL MEDIA BS, Interactive Digital Media and Marketing

SCHOOL OF ONLINE BBA, Business Administration-Management BBA, Health Services Administration

contact la-keisha smith in the office of bachelor studies at 914.831.0352

FA L L 2 0 1 7

|

7

Join! STUDENT GOVERNMENt aSSOCIATION

All colleges and universities have Student Government Associations.

CW’s Student Government Association supports the academic, social, and physical welfare of all students at the College. The SGA is a great place to make a difference, develop your leadership and organizational skills, and be a real contribution to the CW community.

Being a SGA member always looks good on a résumé and when you graduate it’s great to know you made a difference here for a lot of people.

We hold SGA meetings once a month in Room 405 at 3pm, and new members are always welcome. Join us!!!

8

|

FA L L 2 0 1 7

Social Media Calendar NATIONAL TRENDING TOPICS

DECEMBER 7th - Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day 8th - Brownie Day 10th - Human Rights Day 11th - Children’s Day 13th - Cocoa Day 16th - Ugly Christmas Sweater Day 21st - Winter Solstice 24th - Christmas Eve | Chanukah 25th - Christmas Day 30th - Bacon Day 31st - New Years Eve

JANUARY 1st – New Years Day 2nd – Science Fiction Day 12th – Pharmacist Day 19th – Popcorn Day 21st – Hugging Day 23rd – Pie Day 29th – Puzzle Day 30th – Bubble Wrap Day

FA L L 2 0 1 7

|

9

The Power of

I

Friendship

Written by: Michael Perrone Michael is a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. He is also a member of the CW Warriors, Brothers United Club, Sketch Club, and he’s president of the Digital Media Club.

f you're reading, this I appreciate it. Since I was 10 years old, the only friend I felt like I truly had most of my life was my great grandfather. However, that all changed when he died back in 2008. Being 10 I just couldn't help but feel lost. Even worse, I tried to make friends and be kind to people, but it never just seemed to click or cut it for me. Until I was about to be 14 going on to high school, I was outcasted and bullied, never really getting the chance to know true friendship.

High school was what I'd hope to be--a clean slate so that maybe I could experience joy with people.

Here was the only problem: My expectations of how to be a friend and just for people in general had been so low after middle school that I really didn't know how to be a friend. Sure I had some small talks and fun moments, but it wasn't until 11th grade when I really started to know true friendship, even if I didn't know how to make them last. When the end of senior year came around, I was much happier than I used to be. However, I still had that touch of shyness in me. I still never knew how to ask people if they wanted to hang out or even do simple things like start up conversations.

After high school, I barely hung out or talked to any of my closet friends since graduation, fearing that I may have lost those friendships or maybe that they forgot about me.

Transitioning into college was a lot easier for me when it came to communication. Everyone had been just so welcoming and friendly. I was still shy and I still lacked that spark of confidence in me. It finally took an amazing group of people to help me wake up and realize that all this time I really had nothing to be shy and insecure about. I developed amazing friendships with people that made me feel accepted and that I actually exist. I gained so much in confidence. I'm finally hanging out with friends outside of school/college, I'm getting out of the house finally, and I'm even being invited to more things! I even started getting in touch with some of my best friends from high school!

It took me roughly 10 years to finally break out of the shell of my former self! I've been shown that people can truly be amazing and that friends are a powerful thing to have. I never want to lose friendships ever again as long as I have the power to keep them strong! I also want to say that if you feel like you are not good enough, alone, or like no one knows you exist, don't feel that way! Someone WILL make you feel good enough, someone WILL make you know you are not alone, and someone WILL make you feel like you exist. Because you do exist. You just have to get the chance to be yourself. Breaking out of shyness and insecurities is hard, but it can be done!

NEVER doubt yourself and keep being true to who you are!

Annual Halloween Party Tuesday, October 31st

FA L L 2 0 1 7

|

11

MEET THE Artist:

CW Student BS, Interactive Digital Media & Marketing

LORI DERBY

When and how did you first become interested in art?

When I was young, I was always surrounded by visual art because my family are artistic folks. If I wasn’t practicing music, I would do small doodles. What really got me to pursue a career in art is my brother. Out of everyone in my family, my brother is very talented in painting and earned a degree in game design. While I was visiting him in Canada, he was showing me all his past work in 3D modeling and storyboarding for his class and work. That’s when I knew I wanted to do that as well.

Where do you think your creativity comes from?

My ideas mainly come from music and daydreaming a lot.

What are you working on currently that excites you?

My 3D modeling of my flower fairy for my class. Can’t wait to see the end results!

What artist would you say influences your work the most?

An artist I follow on Facebook, GDBee, is my main inspiration for my artwork. I love the contrast between bright colors and dark skins that she illustrates and makes me feel like I don’t have to limit colors around any skin colors.

How has CW contributed towards your artistic talent?

CW has given me the chance to meet amazing classmates and friends who have been influential for some of my artworks.

What is your dream project?

My dream project will be able to design an RPG (Role-Playing Game).

What type of art are you attracted to?

Anything colorful, vibrant and fairytale-fantasy.

How do you see yourself in the future?

I see myself doing mini art commercials while updating my merchandise on Soicerty6 (@lory derpy, shameless plugin) and working on my dream project because it’ll take some time doing.

12

|

FA L L 2 0 1 7

FA L L 2 0 1 7

|

13

14

|

FA L L 2 0 1 7

Did you know we are on Snapchat and have our very

cwstudentlife

We change it every month, so please add us and let us know what theme you want to see next!

FA L L 2 0 1 7

|

15

CW Alumna JessicA Perilla Shares Her "Beautiful Digital Journey."

S

uccess in most fields requires a tenacious spirit and a drive to achieve. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the Digital Media World. However, the perfect formula for success includes tenacity and talent. Jessica Perilla, the founder and CEO of JPD Studio in New York, possesses both, tenacity and talent as 2017 marks the 10th anniversary of launching her company.

JPD Studio is an all women run creative digital agency. The company specializes in custom branding, website design, and development and print design.

As part of the Hispanic History Month celebrations, CW wants to highlight some of our alumni who have excelled in their respective areas. Jessica Perilla is a successful entrepreneur, a creative digital professional, and a proud Latina.

How did you get where you are today, we know that the story started in South America?

My career and story can’t be told without highlighting my parents who immigrated to the US from Colombia. They did so in order to provide my brother and I with the opportunities that they never had. Having them as my foundation and as my role models gave me the confidence to take chances and always strive for more. Most importantly they believed in me and supported me every step of the way, even when I made the decision to leave my full-time web design job at age 25 to start my own branding and web design business, they trusted my vision, never doubted my choices and believed in the daughter that they raised.

I would say that this support and love created the determined and optimistic woman I am today. I never questioned if it was possible, it was just going to happen. I set out to work for myself and wanted to create a career and lifestyle that would allow me to work with people I loved, companies I admired, and 16

|

FA L L 2 0 1 7

missions I could get behind. I pinpointed a need in the market that fit the skills and talents that I acquired and took a leap. That said I couldn’t have done it without the help of my family and friends, the guidance of my professors and mentors and the talent of my amazing team.

What have you learned about leadership and entrepreneurship? Did you find what you were expecting?

I have learned that you must commit to being a lifelong learner AND be willing to adapt. What I mean by that is as an entrepreneur, specifically in tech, the landscape and market are always changing and you have to be willing to adjust and pivot quickly to meet the ever-changing needs. I would also say that being a life learner and having the ability to adapt applies in terms of leadership too.

When overseeing people and leading a company, you work with many different personalities and thus work styles. I truly believe that as a leader, â–ş

it’s important to empower your team and to afford them the ability to work in ways that work for them. This may mean that they prefer to work remotely a few days a week or that they feel they are the most efficient when writing code in the evening. I do my best to adapt to the varying needs because I truly believe that a good life/work balance allows for the best work and results in loyal, valuable employees who genuinely care about the success of the company.

What do you think is the most significant obstacle to being an effective Hispanic leader?

There are many challenges for minorityowned businesses; and as a woman, a Latina, and a member of the LGBTQ community, one would think I faced a triple-whammy.

However, I’ve never seen myself as being at a disadvantage. With hard-working parents -- my late father was a taxi driver, and my mother makes a living as a seamstress -- and a supportive family, I knew I could achieve anything I put my mind to. Sure, there have been those whose prejudice may have questioned my abilities, but my work speaks for itself, and I never gave up.

That said, there have been a couple of bumps in the road. After the third year of being in business, I realized that I had to hire full-time employees, because the workload was too much for me. It was nerve wracking because I had to learn to delegate, as well as maintain the business on a level where my employees could depend on consistent work. Delegating was difficult, I had been a solopreneur up until then so the feeling of no longer being fully in control and hands on with everything in my business was a challenge.

How important was your education in helping you reach your goals starting out?

It was monumental. I actually first learned HTML and Photoshop back in 2000 while studying at The College of Westchester.

These tools changed my life and gave me a

huge advantage. They inspired me to become a web designer, which led to eventually launching my own firm. I’m very grateful to CW for giving me these key skills and for leading me into this beautiful, digital journey.

You’re celebrating your 10 year anniversary at JPD Studio, what’s next?

Through our recent rebranding we have been setting the stage for the next 5-10 years. While our core values and services haven’t changed, our offerings have evolved to meet the growing demands of our clients, the team has expanded and our brand needed to represent who we are today. It has been an interesting, fun and important process. It has felt like a rebirth. We’re excited to continue to stay on top of all of the new digital platforms, tools, and strategies to help our clients stay ahead of the digital curve!

We know you love giving back. What’s in the horizon in that area?

Currently, we have a pro-bono initiative called #PoweredByHer that works to inspire/empower young girls of all backgrounds, in tech and STEM/ STEAM programs. PBH was started after we saw a need for the graduates of Girls Who Code.

After completing the program, the students had nowhere to showcase their incredible work.

JPD created an online portal for the students to upload their projects, providing them visibility and allowing them to have a dedicated destination to refer to when applying to internships, schools and any other programs or funding opportunities.

We plan to add more organizations to our PBH platform this year and we are exploring partnerships with technology companies to create more hands on experiences (i.e. events, workshops) for the girls to get them inspired about pursuing a career in computer science.

■

Jessica Perilla obtained her Associate Degree at CW in the year 2000 and has served as an Advisory Board Member for The College of Westchester.

To learn more about Jessica Perilla’s company visit: http://jpdstudio.com/ FA L L 2 0 1 7

|

17

FALL CARE & PART-TI ER ME J

OB FA

IR

A wide range of job opportunities were available at the Fall Career & Part-time Job Fair organized by the Office of Career Services. Companies and organizations attended the event looking for the best and brightest candidates of CW. Student Lenny said:

Student Center 10:00 am – 1:00 pm Professional attire REQUIRED Bring multiple copies of your resume

“I’m looking for an entry-level position and I got an interview on the spot!”

Office of Career Services 18

|

FA L L 2 0 1 7

Booths provided the students with company information and basic qualifications and requirements of positions. CW student Emmanuel was happy to attend this Career and Part-Time Job Fair, “I would like to start working part-time as soon as possible. However, I understand that networking is also 914.831.0400 | cw.edu important. I would like to have my own business in the future and networking is definitely a good start.”

During Hispanic Heritage Month, We CongratulatE StudenT Luz Lopez The New York League of Puerto Rican advancement of Puerto Rican and Hispanic Women recently women by providing them celebrated the 2017 with the financial support “Being Latina means College Awards necessary to obtain their having a deep appreciation Gala. The League college degree. Launching honored nine in in December of 2008, the of my background and community leaders, League had its first College understanding the great and presented 10 Awards Gala Dinner in importance of family. In college scholarships 2009, and has presented 77 our society, I believe that to undergraduate College Awards to date. women have fair and equal Puerto Rican / opportunities. I love helping Also, as part of the Hispanic women people and I currently work selected for their Hispanic Heritage Month academic excellence Celebrations, NYLPRW was for a Health Center that has and service to the been serving the community recently invited to an oncommunity Among field ceremony at Yankee for over 24 years.” the students awarded Stadium. The purpose of Luz Lopez scholarships is CW the Yankee’s initiative is student Luz Lopez. to recognize the growing Latino presence among The NYLPRW is a non-partisan, not-forMajor League Baseball players, the fans, and profit organization whose mission is the the media.

FA L L 2 0 1 7 | 1 9 SPRING 2017 | 19

Once again, ‘Club Day’ was a total success! Students had the opportunity to walk around the Student Center, ask questions, and sign up for those clubs that looked most appealing to them.

CW’s clubs and organizations offer a variety of opportunities for personal growth, professional leadership and service. These groups also allow students to pursue interests in the arts, sports, business, technology, and public service.

20

|

FA L L 2 0 1 7

r Registration

Exercising the right to vote is essential to being a good citizen. This is the reason CW invited the League of Women Votes (LWV) of New York State to encourage our students to register to vote. “There are many issues to address and these visits help to connect with potential voters. A registered voter can change things locally. We always focus on national issues, but local issues matter as well,” said Sandra Blackwell a member of LWV. CW student Marcus missed the opportunity to vote during last presidential election and decided that today was a good day to register, “I know that my vote will make a difference and I cannot leave my future in other people’s hands. It’s really important for me to vote next time.”

Many students, staff and faculty registered to vote during the event.

FA L L 2 0 1 7

|

21

STUDENT VOICES

S P E C I A L

T H A N K S

T O

STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION Co-Moderator ROMAN SIERRA Co-Moderator DR. JUDITH LILLESTON Club Members NAIKA SAINT PREUX, AMY CASTILLO, ERIC LOPEZ, XAVIER CORTEZ, URIEL PABLO, ARIF NEBIHI, EMMANUEL DELGADO CONTRIBUTERS MICHAEL PERRONE, LORI DERBY, JESSICA PERILLA, LUZ LOPEZ PUBLISHING Photography & Magazine Layout DAWN OLIVIER Graphic Design KEVIN ZUNIGA

Follow