Nathaly Collahuazo |
Born and raised in Brooklyn, I come from an immigrant Ecuadorian household and was taught the values of hard work, dedication, and most of all, grit from a very young age. Growing up as a first generation Latina, I always find ways to continue learning and growing. Whether it be by talking to a new group of people or taking an advanced class, I thrive off challenges. Outside of school, I am actively involved in my community and regularly participate in a youth group where I get the opportunity to meet teens like myself. In my free time I enjoying baking and learning about different cultures. As a Project Bridge Youth Ambassador I hope to meet new people, share my identity and experiences, learn new things and bring back the beauties found in Korea to my own community. | |||
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Clarissa Kunizaki |
I grew up in Jackson Heights, Queens, and my family is Ecuadorian, Japanese, and Irish-American. The cultural misunderstandings I’ve witnessed against Koreans by other Japanese people have motivated me to explore and reconcile the complex historical and cultural dynamics between our two communities. At school, I serve as the president of my school’s Latino Student Union and as Student Government secretary. Beyond the classroom, I’m a youth leader at the Asian Student Advocacy Project. As a youth researcher, I help facilitate the Localized History Project, a New York State-funded youth participatory action research initiative. I am deeply passionate about amplifying marginalized voices and collaborating with diverse groups to drive meaningful change. I’m beyond excited and grateful to be a part of Project Bridge, where I’ll grow my understanding of the world around me alongside my peers, from race relations in the United States to the study of contemporary Korean society and beyond. |
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Shayne Lewis |
I am a Black Caribbean first generation student & American born and raised in Brooklyn. As a senior at my school I’ve acquired a passion for writing and journalistic reporting. The dualities of humanity fascinate me and have pushed me to bring social and political influence into all my work because of how important and impactful for humanity it can be. Hence, my future goal is to be a United Nations lawyer dealing with the human rights of peoples around the world. Korea is just the beautiful first step of my extensive journey in authorship. | |||
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Christina Loanzon |
I was born and raised in Manhattan and, in addition to high school, I do research at Icahn School of Medicine for autoimmune diseases like Crohn’s Disease. In addition, I do voice over work for comic dubs for popular games and TV shows (e.g. Genshin Impact, Zelda, and Attack on Titan). In school I founded its first Japanese Society in freshman year, where we teach Japanese and set up language exchanges with students in Tokyo. My interest in Korean culture sparked from both the dance and drama industry, as I love voice acting and am on the school dance team. One of my hobbies is learning new languages, and the development of the Korean writing system and distinct linguistic characteristics despite the history of colonization interests me. I’m super excited to get to talk to new people through the Project Bridge program and want to bring information back to my community to educate others about language, modern culture, and the evolution of the diplomatic and cultural relationship between Korea and the U.S. |
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Troyina McCoy |
Born and raised in both Harlem and Spanish Harlem, I am in a school club that brings many community members and leaders to talk to students about becoming more civically active in their local communities, e.g. focus on increasing political advocacy among high schoolers by emphasizing that many luxuries we enjoy are directly affected by politics and political leaders. I intend to major in linguistics and hope to have a career as a speech pathologist where I can help others manage their speech disorders. In my free time I love to unwind by drawing and writing comics. I am very excited to be a part of Project Bridge and to learn about Korea, its history, its culture, its food and sociopolitical climate. The history of other countries and how they might have been impacted by the United States really fascinates me and I would love to learn about how Korea’s past influences its present and future. |
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Tyler Pantekoek |
Growing up in Queens, NY I have always been exposed to many different cultures. This has helped build my interest in learning about culture and what it means to people. My high school is new and I will be part of the very first graduating class. As it is a new school without fully developed sports programs, I am on the varsity basketball team for Atlas High School and the track team for Informational Technology High School. Outside of school I have participated in Scouting America since I was seven years old. I have learned how to be a part of and to help my community and have gained many leadership skills. Within the next year I plan to earn my Eagle Scout rank. I am very excited to learn about South Korea and hope that this program will further my ability to help my community. | |||
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Harquin Rodriguez |
Being raised in two different boroughs, I quickly caught on about various communities and cultures, and their impact on my life. At my school I have embraced all the differences and express my creativity through extracurricular activities. I established my school’s first K-pop dance club, acted and sang my way through our school’s “SHREK THE MUSICAL”, and studied my way through Columbia State Pre-College Enrichment Program which brought me together with students from all 5 city boroughs. As quirky and chatty as I am, I aspire to be a doctor with great cultural awareness in order to attend to patients in the best way possible. With love for many new things, I’m eager to see how this program can change my life. |
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Layla Tilton |
I was born and raised in NYC. In school I am a member of the robotics team and a student ambassador. Outside of school I do community service, giving back to my community and helping to solve the issue of food insecurity. Through the organization, One Sandwich At a Time, I participate in sandwich making events to feed the less fortunate. I have hosted school events with this organization to bring awareness to my peers. Also, I am part of the Robin Hood Teen Council which works in this area as well. I am also part of the State Pre-College Enrichment Program at Columbia University, a stem based program which has helped me to build on my academic success. In the future I want to go into the field of bioengineering, but beyond that I want to travel and learn more about different cultures. I am excited to learn more about South Korea and the South Korean culture. Despite being half South Korean, I do not know much about the culture; therefore, I am very grateful to have been offered this opportunity. |
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