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Ariana CastilloAriana Castillo is a 23-year-old senior at John Jay, majoring in Forensic Psychology and minoring in Gender Studies and Africana Studies. She escaped her small town of Bayonne, NJ at 18 when she moved to New York to pursue higher education. She was shocked when she realized most of her learning happened outside of the context of a textbook. In 2013, she had the unique experience of participating in John Jay’s Prison-to-College Pipeline program. She was amazed by all of the untold stories and hushed potential living within this institution and has since committed herself to advocating for prison reform and juvenile justice. Throughout her time in college, Ariana has been thoroughly involved on campus. She works as a Peer Success Coach and Team Leader for Student Academic Success Programs. She is also a Ronald E. McNair Scholar and Vera Fellow. This summer, Ariana traveled half way across the world to study Travel Writing in Tanzania. This was a completely life changing experience for Ariana as she walked freely through the land her ancestors were enslaved from. Her experience working in Light in Africa, an orphanage near the base of Mount Kilimanjaro, was perhaps the most enlightening of all. But, it was also one she was all too familiar with. After working in orphanages in Dominican Republic for the last five years, Ariana was humbled to expand the work she had grown so passionate of. These are the stories she holds most dearly.
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Kiburi, Orgullo, Pride |
Interview with Ariana Castillo |