Raymond

I am a proud product of the Big Apple, the city of big dreams. At the age of 14 months, I left my Brooklyn home and was blessed to be raised by my grandparents and other family members in Trinidad and Tobago. I returned to New York at age ten, armed with a strong sense of family values. My family can be described as loving, strong-willed and extremely supportive. On my return to New York, I happily reunited with my mother and continued my education.  As I embark on my new adventure with NYNY, I am learning to expand professionally and recognize the importance of networking and most the value of having a great support system in order to advance my career path.

My main goal for this program is the hope that it will direct me to the right path. A path with the dual purpose of leading to a brighter future and hopefully gives me the tools to enable me to give back to my community. I am currently attending the Borough of Manhattan Community College, majoring in Business Administration. I plan to transfer to Baruch College next year to enroll in their dual Accounting program to obtain my Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and Masters in Accountancy. I have thus far enjoyed my business courses, especially those courses that help me understand how to operate a business. Also, presently I am gaining a valuable and extensive amount of experience, through an internship, working with a city agency that is allowing me to network and learn about being a professional. Since my goal is to be a future business owner, I am setting my sights on working in the financial district to gain the needed experience.

One of the best decisions I have made to date is to commit to NYNY. It has allowed me to have ready access to mentors that can assist in my professional growth. My vision is to one day open a non-profit for children ages 7 to 18.  This non-profit organization will offer these children more educational opportunities and mentorship to motivate them to focus in the right direction towards attaining their potential. As I participate in this fellowship I will engage myself fully and seek to influence others to learn and grow to be better persons and show professionalism at all times. As I continue this experience with NYNY, I am learning to expand professionally and appreciate the importance of career guiding support.