Colin Powell School
With Faith in Yourself, You Can Make the Impossible Possible: Keyla Pereira on Her College Journey Amidst the Pandemic
Keyla Pereira is a senior majoring in Economics with a minor in Business Administration. In this interview, Pereira discusses her experience with daunting transitions: assimilating as an immigrant from Ecuador in a new high school in New York City, deciding to stay in the city for college, changing to a different major at a different CUNY campus, making the best of remote learning after the pandemic thwarted her study abroad plans, and finally exploring the field of business intelligence in her internship. Pereira encourages students to consider the many different professional paths available to them no matter what major they choose and to gain professional experience to help them chart their path forward. Most of all: students should believe in themselves and keep a positive mindset, she says.
Please tell us a little about your background.
I was born in Ecuador and came to the United States in 2013, completing my high school career in Brooklyn as an ESL student. Coming to the United States, leaving behind family for the possibility of experiencing the American dream, transitioning into a new school, I was unaccustomed to the new environment and everything felt unfamiliar to me. In my classes I encountered many other students who had just arrived in this country in a similar situation, with no clue of what our next steps in life should be or how to find our direction to make our own pursuit in life.
What brought you to City College?
In my senior year of high school, I decided to stay in the city and attend a CUNY school. My guidance counselor suggested that I apply to other colleges outside of New York, so I could get an amazing college experience, but I told him that I want to stay here. Why would I go somewhere else when people from other states dream of coming to study in NYC? At least this was and is my perspective. Also, CUNY allowed me to share my day with friends while commuting to and from home and seeing my family at the end of the day, eating and enjoying time with them. CUNY offers a wide variety of programs, and you can also meet a variety of nice people along the way. These are the reasons that kept me in the city.
I attended Lehman College in the pre-engineering program for three semesters with the intention of pursuing Civil Engineering. Yet, my interest in the major changed because I found my passion in economics. I was curious about what peoples’ needs and wants are in society. In December 2019 I decided to transfer to City College to be part of the economics program.
My advisor at CCNY encouraged me to study abroad, and I was so eager to apply, but my plans took a big turn. I never expected a pandemic in my first semester after just transferring to a new school. I could not study abroad or apply for programs and internships, and all of my classes have been online.
What is your passion or purpose behind pursuing what you did at City College?
It has always been important for me to be open to different paths. I always remember one professor when I started my college career telling us how diverse an industry can be. By this I mean if you obtain a nursing degree it does not necessarily mean you have to get a job in a hospital. You can go and explore more options, for instance research or becoming a travel nurse. We can apply what we learn in a variety of ways. This is why I put an emphasis on getting professional experience, or any related experiences in fact. Experience feeds one's curiosity and little by little we are able to solve problems and build our hard skills.
I am also for self-teaching, inspiring yourself to learn with what you got. Learning at home during the pandemic has helped me evaluate my purpose in life and connect with my drive to consistently grow in multiple aptitudes. It's never too late to master new skills and be the best version of yourself. Even when I doubt my potential, I try to overcome myriad obstacles and I push myself because overcoming them is solely up to me.
How has the Colin Powell School assisted you on your college journey?
My transition to a different major at a different college was daunting. However, by taking advantage of the career development programs the school has to offer, I have been able to ensure that economics was the right choice and test out specific interests. I have participated in City Tutors, a mentoring program, as well as other ways the college supports students, including clubs, mentorship, fellowships, and internships. These have helped me to know that I made the best decision and to feel at peace with myself. At this point in our lives, every choice is made by us.
Please share a significant memory and/or accomplishment from your time at CCNY.
One of my professors sent out an email for those interested in doing a business intelligence internship with NY Foundling. I applied and was accepted to intern at the company. I am grateful for this internship because I got a piece of real-world application about what people do in the industry and what their working environment is like. It was quite a different and valuable experience to be a part of the NY Foundling team. As a business intelligence intern, I was required to attend daily stand-ups where I got the chance to listen to the different projects the company has been working on. I was able to work closely with Celonis software to identify, analyze, and execute data mining and cooperate with other interns to interpret data for 650 entries. After working with the cases, we presented the analysis report to 20 staff in the company in order to get feedback. Getting this internship has served me to narrow down my interests and I am excited to continue to grow.
Do you have any advice you could give to current or future students?
Stop complaining and start doing something about it. Do not stress out if you don’t have a plan. Great things are coming for you, and in the most unexpected moment you will get a great opportunity in your life. Sometimes we lose motivation and direction in our life, but with a little faith in ourselves we can make the impossible possible because if not us, then who? Make the most of what you have even in uncertainty!