“I’m 23 Years old, born and raised in Brooklyn NY. At age 7, I didn’t speak a word of English. In 1997, my parents decided to go back home (to Egypt) forever. I attended Pre-K and Kindergarten in Egypt. 3 years later, they changed their minds and we traveled back to the States. At age 8 I was in 2nd grade. At 13, I transferred Junior High School from public to private school (which was probably the worst investment my parents did). At 18 I graduated High School; I wasn’t popular but I received a Gold Medal in Digital Media and Technology. For the popular kids though, poking fun at a short fat hijabi really tickled their fancy. I’m still insecure, #thanksguys. In 2012 I majored in Graphic Design at City Tech. 2 years later I became a Peer Mentor for Freshmen students and an Executive member of Sigma Alpha Pi, NSLS Honors Students Organization. In 2015 I was Senator of Technology and Design of Student Government Association and a Design Intern at Faculty Commons. A year after I was promoted to be Social Director. I will be graduating with my Bachelors this Spring, 2017. You see, I climbed this latter, never alone though. Never think that you can do everything on your own. Be kind to one another, because Kindness always wins. And if you’re different, that’s good, because it’s better to be different.”

Loubna Aly

Photo credits: @rasheediscool

“The skills, gifts and potential of City Tech students is considerable. Finding, exploring and sharpening those abilities involves focused engagement and the active development of talent while in our First Year Program (FYP). I’m really fortunate to work with outstanding faculty, staff and students to help so many students.   I have a professional passion to help FYP students as they will become leaders in our community.  I’m also lucky to train and oversee so many amazing student peer mentors who assist in the growth and development of our programs that catapult careers and generate campus leaders.”

Ilia Silva

“My name is Elsabeth maximin I am a freelance makeup artist located in Brooklyn, NY. This all started from when I was in middle school and someone put eyeliner on me and I came home and my sister started yelling “mommy Elsa has on makeup” I thought I was going to be in big trouble but when my mom saw me and didn’t care I don’t think she realized the storm that was coming. So I started to use money that she gave me for makeup and that was a big mistake because of my carribbean background my mom didn’t play that. The money she gave me was for food and food only she told me “nah bodda waste my hard earned money on crap” so this taught me how to get my own so I used the little bit of makeup and practiced and practiced being self taught from YouTube and really little of makeup it was hard but I pushed myself and learned because I was always a creative person taking visual arts and photography in hs wearing my creations on my face was one thing I would love to do. Eventually I got to a point where people started asking me to do theirs and my first client was one of my close friends but it was a start of something much bigger I did her makeup for her sweet 16 and it started clientele for me I posted the picture of her makeup I did and other people wanted me to do theirs also. Over time I got a lot better and was doing people’s makeup and got jobs to feed my makeup addiction. Now I have a full collection in my vanity at home. So I didn’t want to stop at just doing people makeup because I felt I was a little limited when clients come in very few give you creative control depending on the event they have they they have a certain look they want to go for and I have always had dreams of starting a YouTube channel being taught from those videos so after years of saying “im Gonna do this” I finally invested in it I said if I’m going to do this I’m going to put my best work out there because this is a representation of me and I bought all the equipment and started on filming my graduation makeup it was a look I named Egyptian but crease which now has over 1,000 views on YouTube starting my YouTube channel has given me massive amounts of confidence and pushed me as a creator looks that I have done for YouTube I would have never tried on a daily basis I have looks of turning myself into a crazy cute clown with ripped cheeks yet she looks so innocent, I turned my brother into scar from lion king, I also do wearable looks so anyone from beginner to makeup junkie can enjoy my channel and I’m so glad that I have because it’s the thing that makes me the happiest in this world without makeup without my YouTube channel putting my content out into the world for anyone to see and not being scared of what anyone thinks seeing me with no makeup at the beginning to full face at the end and feeling beautiful with it without that’s the confidence I got from doing this and I don’t know where I would be without that.”

Elsabeth Maximin

Photo by: @rasheed

“My story? Well where do I even begin?  I am a 19 year old girl who lives in Brooklyn New York. I was adopted at the age four and now I live with a family of 6 and  I couldn’t be more grateful to have them in my life. Everything I am and have is all because of them. They mean the world to me. Because of them I have opportunity to come to college and get my degree. As of small I have always been into singing. Whether it be just for fun or in a choir i would always find so much pleasure in it. As I  got older my love for music grew and it grew to a point where now i’m consumed by it all. I always have to be listening to music or just singing. I always have my headphones on me at all times because there is so much music out there in the world that deserves to be heard. I myself write my own songs. I loved writing a lot of poetry when I was smaller up until now and because of that it really helps me with my songwriting skills. I have performed many times throughout my life and every time I did it was so special and so amazing to be up there and I loved that feeling I get when I’m up there. I found that it helps me express myself and it helps me let people know that this is me and this is what i wanna do. I want to become a singer and hey… yeah…. it might sound silly or impossible but hey…. nothing is impossible if you are willing to go out and work hard for it. Never give up on a dream you have because you can do it. It may not come to you right away but I promise you that if you stay strong and you have some faith in yourself you better believe that your right in your hands waiting for you to let it out and be seen. As for my dream its a struggle at the moment because of my doubt in myself and some other things but…I’m not  going to quit because this is what I really want and nobody or anything is going to stop me.I will conquer the world to become who I know I can be step by step.”

Tonniqua Maldonado 

“You have to be strong to be a woman because being a woman comes with many challenges (periods, pregnancies, stereotypes) that require emotional, mental and physical strength to overcome. My favorite part of being a woman is defeating the stereotypes. I come from a hispanic family who has passed down and encouraged the stereotypes of our women throughout generations. ‘The woman has to serve the man’ my grandma would always say. However my dad always told me other wise. I don’t have to do anything I don’t want to do. I am only to do what I feel is right. I’ve always stuck with what my dad would tell me and here I am today, defeating those stereotypes. I do not cater to no man because I have to. I do because I want to. I do not wear earrings and bracelets everyday. I do not wear dresses and skirts. I am my own person and I act and dress the way I am comfortable, and City Tech is a place that encourages that comfort. Nothing makes me smile more than being able to relate to both genders when i speak to fellow students. I love to feel just like one of the guys. However I would not trade being a woman for the world. Being a woman has built my character. It’s cliché to say but we’re strong because we’re women, and we’re women because we’re strong.”

Caitlyn Nunez