notable programs

I've always been interested in learning through experience and out of the traditional classroom. Because of this, I've participated in many different programs that have allowed me to challenge my way of thinking and gain knowledge in ways that school didn't implement. These are a few of the programs that I participated in that made a huge impact on the way that I think, learn and understand the world.

CITYterm at the Master's School

Dobbs Ferry, NY || August 2011 - December 2011

At the age of 16, I decided that I wanted something different than the high school experience I was getting at my small private school. I wanted to have peers that I hadn't known for most of my life and who had a different worldview than I did; I wanted to be challenged and taken outside of the typical classroom setting that I had known for most of my life. That's when I discovered CITYterm.

"CITYterm is a once in a lifetime opportunity for academically motivated students to spend 16 weeks fully engaged in learning about themselves and New York City. At CITYterm, students meet authors, Broadway directors, architects, artists, city officials, historians and urban planners. Over the course of a single semester, CITYterm students become completely immersed in learning about New York City and about themselves. At CITYterm, students gain the confidence and skills to embark upon new adventures at home, in college and beyond."

At CITYterm, I went completely out of my comfort zone and I loved every minute of it. Suddenly I was living in a dorm with 28 new people in a city I had only ever visited. I learned the importance of interdisciplinary learning, wondering & wandering everywhere I went, a whole world of information that I didn't even know that I didn't know. I gained more knowledge in the one semester I was there than I had during my whole high school career. I learned that I love learning through experience and embracing the element of surprise.

FIU Honors College Study Abroad: Art, War & Human Rights

Paris, Lyon, Normandy, France || July 2015

The one thing I always used to hear from college graduates was, "Make sure to study abroad during college!" I definitely didn't need any convincing. My experience at CITYterm was so life-changing and eye-opening that I knew from a young age I would study abroad during college. I applied to the Honors College France program and was elated when I got accepted. Study abroad was another experiential learning experience for me where I got to meet a Holocaust survivor, artists, and authors. We explored Paris, Lyon and Normandy, visited tons of museums, and ate our way through each city.

"Live a month in France with FIU! Study France’s political and cultural history in its streets and museums. Based in Paris, the class navigates Francois I’s Renaissance in the Loire castles, Marie Antoinette’s final trek through Paris to the guillotine, and Hemingway’s walk through the streets of the Latin Quarter.

Students engage in debates about nationalism, revolution and human rights in the country that saw the most radical, idealistic, and brutal revolution in Europe. They encounter the personalities that have shaped world history—Voltaire, Rousseau, Maximilien Robespierre, Olympe de Gouges, Napoleon Bonaparte, Dwight D. Eisenhower—as well as the figures that revolutionized art history: David, Gericault, Monet, Van Gogh, Matisse, and Picasso. The class visits the Louvre, Orsay, Invalides, Notre Dame, Eiffel Tower, and other museums and monuments of Paris. Also included in the trip are visits to the castles of the Loire, the beaches of Normandy, the French Alps, and Lyon."

Aesthetics & Values Exhibition

Frost Art Museum - Miami, FL|| August 2015 - April 2016

"An annual exhibition organized by the Honors College at FIU, Aesthetics & Values empowers 40 students from a range of disciplines to become curators as part of a year-long course that culminates in a showcase of acclaimed Miami artists. From the curatorial vision to installation design, students oversee all facets of the exhibition, fully immersing themselves in the art world (new to most) while exploring the connections between creativity and social dialogue. Since the inaugural course in 2006, the exhibition reception has evolved into one of the most highly attended events at the Frost Art Museum, attracting 1,000 people. The five-week exhibition attracted over 100,000 attendees during the first 5 years, making waves of impact as these students become engaged and informed lifelong connoisseurs – future leaders of South Florida who are fully aware of the power of art as a social language. Beyond our community, national recognition includes presentations to the Clinton Global Initiative, Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, and annual representation at the National Collegiate Honors Council Conference."

I had wanted to take A&V since my freshman year of college, when I visited the exhibition that the 2013 A&V group had put on. I thought that the concept behind the class was so unique because it seemed to be more like an internship than a college class. I worked in PR/Outreach and full curation of an art exhibition at The Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum in Miami, Florida. I, along with my group, had the task of finding local Miami artists who held a high caliber in the art world (not an angsty teenager who is trying to express himself through art!). Once we were able to curate the entire exhibition, we had to bring people in. In order to bring people in, I worked using social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to build a relationship with our followers and get them to attend the Opening Reception at the museum. I also reached out to companies for sponsorship, such as Bacardi, who sponsored our event and brought buzz to our opening. By the end of it, we had around 1000 attendees at the Opening Reception, which was the most attendees at an Opening Reception at that museum!