International Spotlight: Angela Gutierrez Castillo, Graduate Student at School of Professional Studies

Which program/department are you in?

School of Professional Studies (SPS) - Applied Analytics.

What is your primary area of study or research?

Data Analytics and Accounting.

Which country (or countries) do you come from?

Honduras.

How long have you been in the U.S.?

I've been here for about 4 years. I did undergrad here in the U.S. as well.

What do you like best about living in the U.S.?

What I like the most about living here is the many different connections I have made throughout the years with people from diverse cultures and backgrounds.

What is the hardest thing about living here?

The hardest thing for me is living away from my family. They have always been my main motivation and support system.

What do you know now that you didn’t know before?

Something that I know now that I didn't before is the differences in the environments within each state and community. Specifically, I have learned so much about my hispanic/latino community in the U.S. Not only did I make friends along the way, but I also had the opportunity to work in the community through an internship in Raleigh, NC. There, I worked alongside the Wake County Planning Division in different focus groups in which we informed and engaged the community.

Is there anything you’d like to share about your research or projects?

For now, my main focus besides on campus engagement is with the nonprofit organization I am part of. For over a year now I have had the opportunity of serving as Youth Representative in an upcoming Community Organization called Project H.Y.P.E.D.(Helping Young People Escape Destruction), based in North Carolina. The main goal of the organization is to work with young people (ages 12-18) through support programs and services to positively influence their life decisions, leading to productive outcomes. Now we have 2 active programs focusing on “Health and Nutrition” and “African American Male Mentoring”. We have also recently launched our website: projecthyped.org. Make sure to check it out!
 

What do you like to do (hobbies, etc)?

Usually, I like dancing, listening to music, cooking and hiking. Now that I have moved to NYC, I dedicate my time to explore the city and see the events/food/activities it has to offer.

Connect with Angela on LinkedIn.

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