Student Reflection NYC By Damon Whitehead, Jalaysha Seals, Micaiah Bell

Walking around New York City is both tiring and adventurous. Seeing the different buildings inspired us to go beyond our usual thoughts and dreams. The morning started off with a visit to the recording studio of Good Morning America. We went inside expecting a larger studio, with an indoor seating area for the audience. Once we understood how the show was produced, the set up made sense. The layout of the studio made for an efficient process. During the recording, there was a sense of professionalism and discipline. Everyone in the studio was quiet while doing his or her job. We were very appreciative of the generosity from the crew as they took their time to answer our questions about the set design and internships.

Later on, we visited the Jackie Robinson Foundation, which is located on Varick Street, New York, NY. The organization was very encouraging because it pushes students to apply to their scholarship, which then motivates us to look into other scholarship programs. The foundation was not just about a scholarship; it was also about leaving Jackie Robinson’s legacy behind. It was showing the love, passion, drive, and vision that Jackie and his wife, Rachel Robinson had. According to Ms. Mathews, “[a] critical limiting gesture is everything”. A C.L.G. means the way you present yourself is how you will be looked at. A big eye opener for us was how the foundations holds an annual convention for the students to develop their life skills for the future. The last statement that touched peers and I was a quote by Jackie Robinson saying, “Life owes me nothing, Baseball owes me nothing. I cannot as an individual rejoice in the good things I have been permitted to work for…”. This foundation was not the only place that created an open mind for us.

The Art Institute of New York was an amazing place that really brought out the artist in me. We met two wonderful people Trent Rhodes and Nadraqua Dawes. They were very interesting people. Trent is a student employment advisor. He assists grad students in finding jobs. I think this is pretty interesting because it’s hard to find jobs nowadays. Trent’s program assists students with the skills and resources needed to get a job such as a resume, cover, letter, and thank you letter. He also tells us about how networking will help you find jobs too. He pointed out “the more people you know the more opportunities you have” and we agree with that, because how could you have connections with jobs you like if you don’t know anybody that’s involved in what you like? What we learned from Trent is college is an environment of maturity. If you aren’t mature, you’re not ready.

Nadraqua is soon to be The Dean of Students. She studied anthropology and discussed the three types: social, cultural, and literal. Nadraqua also explains the expectations for the Art Institute of N.Y.C. One is no fighting. If a student gets caught fighting, they are automatically expelled. After the discussion, we had food. We then toured around some of the campus. We saw some pretty cool things, such as clothing design and art paintings. It inspired most of us to become a better artist and learn more about the art culture.

We appreciate you Ms. Regina for giving us this opportunity and hope to be part of more adventures.
We love you.