The Coolest and Kindest Teenagers in NYC are at CMMB!
Introducing Our 2018-2019 Cristo Rey Interns!
Teenagers get a bad rap. Moody. Withdrawn. Unmotivated. Rude.
Well this is just not true of the teenagers at CMMB. We’re fortunate to have some of the most dedicated, compassionate, kind, and talented teenagers supporting our work to deliver healthier lives worldwide!
They come from our longtime partner, Cristo Rey New York Catholic High School, as part of a school-work program. Their mission? To empower thousands of students from underserved, low-income communities to develop their minds and hearts to become lifelong contributors to society. By providing students with an extraordinary college preparatory education and a unique four-year, integrated corporate work study experience, the school seeks to transform urban America one student at a time.
Meet the six students who make coming into work a little more fun and inspiring for our team at CMMB.
Meet Our 2018-19 Cohort
Arianna
Arianna is a returning Cristo Rey intern! We are happy to have her back with us for another year!
Grade: 11
Favorite office distraction? Marivette’s playlist! (Marivette is the supervisor of Cristo Rey Students). I love listening to her music. Sometimes I sing it to myself when I recognize one of the great songs that she is playing!
What is a book that everyone should read and why? “To Kill A Mockingbird” by Harper Lee. It’s a good book because it portrays the importance of justice for all and has great characters.
What is your favorite film and why should everyone watch it? Venom. I have recently seen the movie and I really want to see it again. It was extremely touching and cool.
Who inspires you? How? Many people inspire me, but, one person who inspires me the most is my supervisor, Marivette Cannon. I know she will always be by my side and always motivate me to be a good person.
What do you hope to do in the future? I want to become an elementary or middle school teacher and really help students understand the world around them. I want to inspire them to follow their dreams and motivate them to make a difference.
Jaeleen
Grade: 9
Favorite office distraction? When Marivette Cannon – my supervisor at CMMB – starts to sing. It always puts a smile on my face. Last week, she happened to play a song I liked and we both started singing. It made me laugh because I didn’t expect her to know the songs I liked, but I realized that she does!
What is a book that everyone should read and why? “The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane” by Kate DiCamillo because it talks about a china rabbit having a mind of its own, and explores the world through his perspective. Even though he can’t talk, he experiences a lot of changes that he wishes could be undone.
What is your favorite film and why should everyone watch it? Hidden Figures because it talks about how African Americans can accomplish whatever they want in life, no matter the race.
Who inspires you? How? My mom because when she experiences rough times, she perseveres through it. My mom had a baby boy eight months ago, and she still takes on all her responsibilities without skipping a beat. Whenever she is confronted with a problem, she pushes it to the side because she doesn’t need negative energy in her life.
What do you hope to do in the future? I wish to be a forensic Scientist because it has interested me ever since I was a little girl. When I was little, my great grandmother and I would watch Criminal Minds every morning and night before I went bed. As I started getting older, I realized that it really caught my interest.
Muminatu
Grade: 9
Favorite office distraction? My favorite office distraction was when Chris Chiu, a former staff member, came to the front desk and told us one of his jokes. He gave us a great moment of laughter.
What is a book that everyone should read and why? “To Kill A Mockingbird. Not only is it a controversial book, but it’s also so interesting to learn about a serious topic, such as racism and segregation, from the perspective of someone who doesn’t understand the true struggles of African Americans, or hasn’t experienced them.
What is your favorite film and why should everyone watch it? “The Devil Wears Prada.” I would recommend this movie to everyone because it teaches you how to stay true to yourself even in the most difficult times. It teaches you to just embrace who you are.
Who inspires you? How? My mom because even with all the obstacles and struggles she has lived through, she was able to come to America and provide for my family and find a job she enjoys. By doing this she has shown me that I can achieve any goal that I want to as long as I am willing to put in the work.
What do you hope to do in the future? I want to be a cardiothoracic surgeon, which is a surgeon that works on the heart! This is because growing up I’ve always enjoyed watching surgeries, and I just find the heart a very delicate and beautiful part of the body.
Theresa
Grade: 12
Favorite office distraction? Walking around and talking to my co-workers. I am very interested in what they do here at CMMB, how they got here, and what made them stay.
What is a book that everyone should read and why? “1984” by George Orwell. It’s about a dystopian nation, which caught my attention. What I loved about the book is its incorporation of a love story despite all the bad things happening around them.
What is your favorite film and why should everyone watch it? “Beast in the Southern Wild”. Everyone should watch it because the cinematography is incredible, and the story is beautiful. It’s about a single parent with a six-year-old daughter, preparing for the end of the world.
Who inspires you? How? My mother. My mother is a woman that would never close her doors on anyone. She has been a foster parent for 18 years and is raising six children. My mother shows me that anything is possible and if you have hands to help, you should because everyone has a story and you never know how much you can do for another person.
What do you hope to do in the future? I would like to be a sociologist that conducts studies and writes about people. I am a writer in school and I have always been fascinated by different groups of people, religions, and social problems.
Osmairy (Omar)
Omar is another one of our returning Cristo Rey interns! Omar, thank you for spending another year with CMMB!
Grade: 12
Favorite office distraction? When we celebrate birthdays and holidays, not only because of the tasty food but also, because you get to be with everyone outside of the work setting.
What is a book that everyone should read and why? A book everyone should read is “Macbeth.” I had this book assigned for summer reading and to be very frank, I didn’t like it at first because of the difficult language. But, after reading and analyzing it I came to like it very much because of how relatable it is in today’s world.
What is your favorite film and why should everyone watch it? “4 Your Eyez Only” because it gives insight into how bad injustice is in the world. Watching the film was an eye-opening experience. The facts shared in in the film were truly mind blowing. Also, the documentary flows very well, which means it keeps you hooked all the way from start to finish.
Who inspires you? How? Besides my beautiful mom, Jermaine Cole. He inspires me because of the way he lives his life. He has come to the realization that money is a secondary thing in this world, the primary thing we all need is love.
What do you hope to do in the future? My future career aspirations are to attend a four-year college where I will major in business finance and minor in real estate or economics. I hope to graduate top of my class and get a well-paying job. I plan on working for no more than 10 years. While at my job, I will make connections and invest in some properties which I hope to flip years after for a profit. While doing all this I will also invest carefully in the stock market. My goal, which I will achieve, is to fully take care of my parents and enjoy life’s every moment.
Crisleydi
And yet another returning Cristo Rey intern! We love when interns return for another year!
Grade: 10
Favorite office distraction? My favorite office distraction is when anyone comes to speak to Marivette about food, world problems, or advice. It’s very interesting to hear what everyone has to say about anything and everything.
What is a book that everyone should read and why? “Milk and Honey” by Rupi Kaur. If you’re into short poems, you would really enjoy this book. It mostly talks about love from the point of view of a woman.
What is your favorite film and why should everyone watch it? Coraline. I can’t explain why I like it so much other than the fact that it was the first movie I watched when I first came to New York. I think everyone should watch it because it’s such a good movie and it’s perfect for Halloween time.
Who inspires you? How? My oldest brother Luis inspires me to do good. He’s currently accomplishing his dream of being a hygienist and it motivates me to accomplish my dreams as well. I always have a support system, but my brother is constantly pushing me to do better and to do everything to my best ability.
What do you hope to do in the future? I hope to become an orthodontist and be the owner of my own dentistry. At first, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do but I grew interest when I had braces. I know I can accomplish this despite how long it will take.