Name
Estrella

Major
Development Sociology

Hometown
Bronx, NY

Describe your experience at CALS

When I came in as a freshman I really didn’t understand the whole idea of Cornell having seven different colleges. I had applied to CALS for its Business Program, yet I knew very little about anything else it or any of the other colleges offered. After my first semester I realized that my career interests and passions did not reside in the study of business yet I wasn’t sure where else I could pursue them. Therefore, I began to look at my options, I began to research what CALS had to offer me and I came across the Development Sociology major. With the help of academic advisors and other members of the CALS administration in both departments, I was able to assure myself that switching between these majors would suit me well. I am now a Junior and I know I have been going down the right track in regards to both academics and professional development thanks to the opportunities open to me within CALS and its amazing professors, administration, staff. CALS is one of the most flexible colleges in regards to allowing students to pursue an array of interests both inside and outside the college, therefore, encouraging one to explore different areas and to become well-rounded.

Advice to a prospective student looking at CALS

Definitely just research and make yourself aware of the opportunities and options available to you through CALS because they are truly endless.

Activities

CU IMAGE (Cornell University Increasing Multicultural Admissions and Gains in Enrollment, Campus Visits Co Chair, Puerto Rican Students Association, President of Sangre Taína, CALS Ambassadors, Minority Liaison.

Hands-on Experience

I interned the summer after my freshman year for the Children’s Aid Society where I worked within the Early Childhood Education Department with children who have special needs. This past summer I interned as an Investigator for the Legal Aid Society’s Criminal Defense Division through Cornell’s Urban Scholar Summer Internship Program. These were both very exciting and different experiences which allowed me to grow, to learn, and to continue figuring out what I want to do upon graduation.