From the president
Kenia Sanchez is a sophomore majoring in Science, Technology, and Society, with plans to become a Doctor focusing on serving underserved and underrepresented communities. While still in high school, Kenia started her own organization called 'Changing the Altars of the Heart Foundation'; she was able to travel to both the Dominican Republic and El Salvador to distribute monetary donations, medical supplies, and food directly to individuals who needed them. Locally, she volunteers at her church to collect clothes, food, and other items for families in need, as well as cooking meals during the Thanksgiving holiday for homeless individuals in her community. She was recently named the Long Island Library Resources Council’s Spring Diversity Intern, where she will learn about the library field and engage with the different communities that are served through the library’s resources. Kenia is also a RAM Scholar and mentor to first-year students.
Personal Statement
If I wasn’t bilingual I’d be useless to my family. That’s what clicked in my head when filling out my first Financial Aid application. Growing up as both the oldest sibling and cousin in a Hispanic household, I was the first to do everything, including college. I was automatically in charge of setting the path for each family member. This meant hearing “she’s so mature for her age”. From a young age, I had the sense of pressure that my parents wanted someone in our family to attend and graduate college. Growing up fast has its benefits, it has consistently motivated me to fight for every opportunity possible so my place in the world is known and felt. I am working to be in a field that was not built for me, however, I am learning there are others who are also fighting to be included in these spaces. Every day, I am looking for new opportunities to help me achieve my goals. As I learn from classmates and mentors along the way, I share what I have learned with others so I can help alleviate their journey, even if it is to remind them that they are not alone.