Welcome to my 3rd College Year from attending AHRC NYC's Melissa Riggio Higher Education Program!
Fall Semester (2021 = Remote College Year)
As of the Fall Semester in 2021, I was officially in my 3rd College Year of the Melissa Riggio Higher Education Program and of course, I was attending my KCC classes remotely. On my Fall Semester schedule, my KCC classes were Introduction to Tourism and Hospitality (TAH100) & Principles of Interviewing and Group Leadership (MH3100) + I've also had the much needed "Study and Assignments" for everyday of a week on my schedule to work on my assignments with my mentors. During my remote experience in TAH100, it wasn't an actual class to attend via zoom but to work on many assignments on Blackboard sent from Professor Toni Storz. The mentor who was assigned to me and one of my classmates (Hassan) in that class was Karla Lopez who knows much about TAH100 + she even knew Professor Toni Storz. It was thanks to Karla that both me and Hassan took our time in getting through with our assignments and we have learned much about the wonderful life of traveling which is something I've enjoyed doing (back when we've had our freedom before COVID-19 dominated). From researching Magnificent Hotels, Busy Airports, Trains (my favorite traveling transportation), and a little much more about traveling, I'm grateful to Karla Lopez and Professor Toni Storz for the enjoyment I've had in that class + I ended up earning a perfect score on all my TAH100 assignments. During my remote experience in MH3100, I've remotely attended that class once a week during this semester which was taught by Professor Michelle Billies. The mentor who was assigned to me and one of my classmates (Vincent) in that class was Evelyn Velez who knows much about MH3100 + she even knew Professor Michelle Billies. From what I've went over in MH3100, I've learned a little much about Mental Health being involved with the lives of the disability community which is involved in my advocating so I'm kinda glad that I've accepted trying out this class. There were much sad stories that I've watched from assignment videos which made me feel sorry for those innocent individuals with disabilities who've had tough lives in their past (especially with their families) but from what I've also seen in those assignment videos, I'm glad there were some people who cared about those innocent individuals and gave their efforts to help them out. It was thanks to MH3100 that I've learned how Mental Health can also be involved with homeless people who can end up emotionally disturbed (from their own Mental Health) enough to do bad things which is why many homeless shelters are necessary for their aid so they won't end up on the streets or even living in the subway station. I ended up learning more about genders from MH3100 as I always assumed there were only males and females but to think there were other kinds like transgenders and gender-queers, I founded that a little disturbing but managed to get used to it. Although I've had some struggles with the assignments, I'm still grateful to Evelyn Velez and Professor Michelle Billies for what I've enjoyed in MH3100. I've managed to enjoy My 3rd Year: Fall Semester and shall wonder what lies ahead of me in my upcoming semesters during my 3rd college year.
Winter Semester (2021 = Remote College Year)
During the Winter Semester of my 3rd college year, I was remotely attending AHRC classes taught by the mentors. My chosen classes were Money and Budgeting, Spanish, How to be a Youtuber, Anime Club, Career Development, Film Genre, Men's Club, College Life and Discussions, Music and Movie Trivia, Positivity, Speech, Cartoon History, and Karaoke. Although I've enjoyed a few of the classes, My 3rd Year: Winter Semester unfortunately fell nothing much to me but I know that my classmates enjoyed their remote activities while I ended up looking like a toxic student who didn't enjoy this semester much. During this semester, my college program declared to be returning back to in-person at the start of My 3rd Year: Spring Semester which not only surprised me but left me a little terrified about it. Although I've heard some campuses returned back to in-person (with pandemic restrictions), I was reluctant about returning back to my freedom after what the outside world has been going through for the past few years, not just with COVID-19 but with highly-increased violence caused by evil humans or even emotionally disturbed homeless people + said violence have made my favorite transportation (Trains) very unsafe for innocent subway riders. Which is why I rather remain locked in my home for My 3rd Year: Spring Semester just to remain safe for a while but unfortunately it shall lead to decreasing my body's own Vitamin D. By the time I'll eventually give into gaining my freedom back (with "new normal" restrictions), I'm gonna hope
that I can survive it with much-needed safety.
Spring Semester (2022 = Remote & In-Person College Year)
During the Spring Semester of my 3rd college year, I was remotely attending my KCC classes + as of this semester, the Melissa Riggio Higher Education Program went officially back to in-person. On my Spring Semester schedule, my KCC classes were TAH200 Destination Geography & EPS3500 Introduction to Astronomy which were both not actual classes to attend but just doing assignments on Blackboard. Honestly I only got assigned to both those classes out of avoiding the risk of attending my college program in-person since most good classes were in-person after all which my classmates were more than happy with. Unfortunately with EPS3500, my remote experience was awful since I had chosen to give up on that class due to assignments (& lab assignments) looking too complicated & stressful for me. It made me feel ashamed to have been a lousy student in that class especially since I only chose it to avoid in-person classes like a coward but Supervisor Frank Laskowitz was sensitive to my feelings and forgave me for all of it. As of this semester, Supervisor Frank Laskowitz succeeded in bringing me back to the Melissa Riggio Higher Education Program IN-PERSON which led to many results like experiencing the outside world after 2 whole years of avoiding it all, FINALLY got back on riding my favorite transportation (trains) again after 2 whole years of no train rides, getting to see the old classmates & mentors of my college program in-person again after 2 whole years of only seeing them via Zoom, meeting the new classmates & mentors of my college program in-person after 2 whole years of only meeting them via Zoom, & showing how I've felt about it all in one of my videos known as "Experiencing Life with Freedom" + a little video of mine known as "A Little Freedom Declaring". During my experience in TAH200 (remotely at first), the blackboard assignments sent by Professor Rosemary Bufano were tough but it was thanks to 2 of my mentors (Karla & Evelyn) that I've enjoyed the assignments of researching destinations & attractions that I may like to visit from within or outside the US. During the time of attending college program in-person, I can admit that I've enjoyed going over my TAH200 assignments with my mentors in-person on campus. Supervisor Frank Laskowitz was very resistant in getting me back out into the outside world and I can admit that he managed to have gotten away with that since he was very happy in seeing me with everyone in our college program in-person again but it's too bad that due to a job transfer, he had to leave from the Melissa Riggio Higher Education Program although he's still happy to stay in touch with me since he enjoys us working together + I already declare that Frank Laskowitz is a very important person in my life. After 2 graduations had to be remote due to COVID-19 pandemic, the graduation of 2022 ended up being in-person which was good news for my 2022 graduated classmates (including Steven Lakhter). I was unable to attend the 2022 in-person graduation event but I can still be proud of my graduated classmates of 2022. I still feel bad for my classmates who've graduated in 2020 & 2021 since their graduations were remote but I believe they can still plan for their upcoming future with some in-person freedom. A lot has happened during My 3rd Year: Spring Semester including with my official freedom back into the outside world which led to an in-person chat with me and Frank Laskowitz.
Summer Semester (2022 = Remote & In-Person College Year)
During the Summer Semester of my 3rd college year, my college program has never been so happy to finally do in-person AHRC classes & activities after going through 2 Summer Semesters that were remote by COVID-19 Pandemic. My schedule had Becoming Independent/Adulting Skills 101, Peer Circle, Positivity, Human Relationships, Zumba, Board Games, Anxiety/Stress/Fun Activities, Men's Club, Money Management, Karaoke, & Trips/Community. In the beginning, I've been a total coward avoiding to attend my own college program out of concern to avoid the outside world which I can admit was a little silly since I gave in to the freedom during My 3rd Year: Spring Semester. At some point, the AHRC mentors & even Frank Laskowitz (who works elsewhere) didn't like how I haven't been in the college program for weeks which eventually led to me giving in again of getting back on campus with the mentors & classmates in-person (I'm just happy to have survived being in freedom again). Unfortunately not only I've chose to attend college program for a few days a week, I've been coming in late (even by lunch time) which led to missing out on most of my classes + being absent on days when they go out on trips & some of their trips were ones I would've liked to attend which made me feel ashamed for how I've been acting during My 3rd Year: Summer Semester. The mentors had to speak with me about getting back to attend program early & everyday again, I managed to have slowly gotten started with that during the remaining weeks of My 3rd Year: Summer Semester which resulted in attending a few summer activities (including a scavenger hunt), attending the final trip (Central Park Zoo), meeting new classmates who've started out in the college program, & getting ready for My 4th Year: Fall Semester. With my entire 3rd college year confirmed to have been both remote & in-person + attending my college program via Zoom coming to an end during said college year, I've been overwhelmed with so much that I had to be ready for during my 4th college year which became an in-person college year (including my Graduation in 2023).