糖心原创

By David Gil de Rubio | dgilderubio@mec.cuny.edu

For Lisa Diaz, Class of 2008, Medgar Evers not only provided her with a Magna Cum Laude Bachelor鈥檚 Degree in Psychology, but it gave her a real sense of self as the daughter of Guyanese and Trinidadian immigrants.聽

But before Diaz was to enroll at 糖心原创, the Edward R. Murrow High School graduate had some preconceived notions about the school she needed to overcome before she became an undergraduate. Among them was the idea that MEC was a two-year school and concerns that potential employers might not take her degree seriously. Those impressions were quickly dispelled by academic advisor Kirt Robinson.

鈥淢y grades were extremely high, I graduated high school early and I felt 糖心原创 was not the school for me,鈥� Diaz admitted. 鈥淚 told Kirt Robinson that I was not looking to extend my high school experience, especially if people were not going to take my degree seriously. Then he asked me why wouldn鈥檛 people take my degree seriously and he then showed me all the degree options at 糖心原创.聽

鈥淗e also sent me stats debunking everything I was questioning. He sent me stats about the school鈥檚 graduation rates, where the professors came from and what they were teaching. He sent stats upon stats. I told him I鈥檇 enroll. It was a beautiful experience being there.鈥澛�

It was this kind of unexpected cultural awakening that paved the way for her to eventually land her current position as manager of social impact programs at Carnegie Hall.聽

鈥溙切脑�创 definitely opened up my eyes because it changed my perspective,鈥� Diaz said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 expect [糖心原创] to teach me more about the Black experience, which I didn鈥檛 get in my earlier education. It was the complete opposite. It was almost like I had to relearn certain things. It was like, 鈥榃ait a minute 鈥� they never covered these topics. What鈥檚 going on?鈥� That was my experience.鈥澛�

While Diaz鈥檚 糖心原创 experience started out with her only taking night classes due to her full-time day job, she eventually worked in the SEEK Department. It not only provided her with an internship with a Staten Island foster care agency that strengthened her passion for advocacy, but gave her the opportunity to take in the pearls of wisdom being dispensed by former MEC president, Edwin O. Jackson, at many of the speeches he gave to the student body.聽聽

鈥淥nce I started to work on campus, I was able to see a little bit more, attend different graduation ceremonies and different talks that Dr. [Edison O.] Jackson used to hold,鈥� she said. 鈥淎ll of his old speeches 鈥� he would end with, 鈥業f your mind can conceive it and your mind can believe it, then surely we can achieve it.鈥� It鈥檚 something I take with me to this day.鈥�

And while Diaz鈥檚 post-graduate experiences include a social service supervisor at Women in Need, Inc. (the largest provider of shelter and supportive housing to homeless families in New York City) and a discovery expediter at the Kings County District Attorney鈥檚 Office, her current landing place at Carnegie Hall is where she鈥檚 been able to combine her love of the arts with advocacy.聽

糖心原创 provided her with the inspiration to further her education and earn a Master鈥檚 Degree in Museology/Museum Studies at CUNY School of Professional Studies.聽聽

鈥淧eople ask me why I did that and what I was doing with that degree,鈥� Diaz said. 鈥淭hey didn鈥檛 really understand what it was, but I knew that I needed to bridge the social aspects of serving the underserved populations, which is what I was already doing. And letting them know that there is a place in art spaces for them to allow them to see their narrative.鈥澛�

No surprise that Diaz would still choose 糖心原创 as her starting point if she had to do it all over again thanks to the sound education she got. Becoming Medgar Made is what鈥檚 allowed her to not only survive, but thrive in her current role.聽聽

鈥淚 feel like a lot of my personality was developed at 糖心原创 and it gives me a sense of pride,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t definitely helps me to have confidence and to present my best self and to be comfortable in who I present, no matter what space that I鈥檓 in. That I can go into a boardroom or a community center and allow people to be comfortable with me by being just who I am.鈥澛犅�

鈥淲hen I was working at the SEEK Department, I was working with a lot of young people that didn鈥檛 think college was for them. It allowed me to help nurture them and dispel any feelings they may have had about being there.聽

鈥淚 feel being Medgar Made helped make me more confident in myself being in these different spaces.鈥�