My name is Shanice, I was born in Jamaica, Queens in New York. I grew up in Bedford Stuyvesant in Brooklyn New York. I’m currently in my third year at City Tech and I am majoring in Computer Systems Technology CST. I picked this major because I would stay on the computer for hours, then wonder, “where did the time go?” Then I came to the conclusion that computers may be an area of interest and what I would want to do in life.Throughout my interaction with the computer and its various programs, I was inspired to research career opportunities in the field of computer technology. Initially, I thought business would be my major and I researched various high schools that offered business courses, but when I started to take those courses, my priorities changed, computer technology captivated me. Hopefully, in my last few semesters at this school, I can grasp enough information to be confident to go out into the workplace and find my dream job.
As of now, I work at Macy’s and at a Catering center. When I first starting working at Macy’s, I was excited and nervous at the same time. I thought I would actually like this job, and it would be a great experience to have. But boy was I wrong, I used to say I would never work at a retail job, that was a huge lie. Every time I know I have to work, I start to become annoyed. Some of you might say why am I still there, but don’t worry I’m not planning on staying there for too long. Catering is not too bad, I also prefer that job over Macy’s. I’ve been working at the Catering center for about 6 years. Although you might deal with some rude customers, I look forward to going to that job. I guess its because that job is on-call. One definite thing I like about this job is my managers and coworkers, I get along well with them and we like each other. Besides that boring part of my life, there are some more other boring activities I can add to it. I love to sleep, listen to music and killing my brain cells by watching T.V.
In addition, I look forward to enjoying this class because the class is a hybrid class making it partially online. It gives me another excuse to stay on the computer. Not only that, but I noticed I learned and retain information better when I take an online classes, the work is hands on. Hopefully with this class the outcome can be the same, because I can take advantage of my love of computers and learn simultaneously.
Hopefully you’ve gotten to know me a little bit just from our first class and from the syllabus and other materials on this site–our writing style says a lot about us–but allow me to introduce myself more fully. I’m a native New Yorker, and have lived in three of the five boroughs. I’m an assistant professor in the English Department at City Tech, with a Ph.D. in English and a certificate in Women’s Studies from the CUNY Graduate Center in midtown Manhattan. My undergraduate degree from Brown University is in both English and Biology. As a college student, this combination often confused people, and they would ask “What are you going to do, write science textbooks?” No, that was never an interest of mine. I do use a lot of science terminology and metaphors in my writing, both in my creative writing and in my scholarly work.
Here at City Tech, I’m involved in a number of interesting projects. I won’t list them all, but I’m currently one of the OpenLab co-directors, and am conducting research on interactive technology use in education. My scholarly work also focuses on narrative theory, gender and sexuality studies, and literature of the 20th century. Some of the stories we will read this semester are texts that I study in my own work. I’m active on the Undergraduate Research Committee, so let’s talk if you’re interested in conducting research. I tweet for the Literary Arts Festival, @CityTechLitFest, not only about our even each spring, but also other interesting things related to writing, reading, Brooklyn, and college. Follow me there!
Outside of work–if we can ever really separate the things we do into work and non-work categories–I’m an avid knitter and crocheter. I’ve been known to quilt. I love to cook. I want to learn how to use a letterpress. As you can see, I like to make things! It’s so satisfying to see a project through from start to finish, and to have a tangible object to show for it. I like to bring my love of making things into the classroom, creating projects that don’t just ask students to do what they’re used to doing but to make things, too.
I love to look at old maps and photographs of New York, and often incorporate them into my courses. Although I’m an amateur and don’t have fancy equipment, I love to take photographs when I travel, whether it’s to Iceland (a great trip I took this summer), to Chicago (where I’ll be visiting this spring for the annual conference of the International Society for the Study of Narrative, and hopefully to eat a Chicago-style hot dog for some good Chicago tourism but not Chicago-style pizza), or even just for a ride on the Staten Island Ferry (which I’ve done countless times) or a walk on the Brooklyn Bridge (which I often do on my way to or from work).
Now that you’ve gotten to know me a bit better, I look forward to getting to know all of you!