Interview by Emily Hessney Lynch. 

Published May 24, 2018.

Where are you originally from?

I’m a Rochester native. I grew up on the northeast side of town, and went to city schools K-12. I attended St. John Fisher College for undergrad and got my master’s in Human Development at the Warner School of Education.

What is your favorite part of living in Rochester?

I love entertainment. I wish I could clone myself and send copies of me to all the events I want to go to! I love to support local artists. I’ll go to shows at the Little Cafe, Kilbourn Hall, and Geva, and I always make sure to see Garth Fagan in December. I have a wide palate of musical interests. I also love food and call myself a culinary artist. I just really enjoy trying new things! Last June, I started boxing at the Rochester Fight Factory. I like to call myself a cheerleader for lifelong learning.

Do you have any favorite hidden gems around the city? 

The historic area of High Falls/Brown’s Race feels like a forgotten area. There aren’t a lot of businesses over there, but I always enjoy seeing the cobblestone, architecture, river, and walking across the Pont de Rennes bridge. I try to get over there at least a few times a year.

Turning Point Park is another great one--I’ve walked the whole thing all the way down to the pier at Lake Ontario. I love finding quiet spots like that in an urban environment.

What are some of your favorite local nonprofits to support? 

MAG, Garth Fagan Dance, Borinquen Dance Theatre (a Puerto Rican folkloric and modern dance group). I used to be on the board of the Borinquen Dance Theatre and I’m still on the fundraising committee. This year’s theme is “Awaken and Arise,” a tribute to Puerto Rico. They saved tickets for people who relocated to Rochester from Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria.

I also love to support the Nazareth Arts Center, the Eastman School of Music, and Planned Parenthood, of course!

What's the most unique event you've attended in Rochester? 

A lot of my friends are always asking me, “How do you find out about this stuff?!” when I tell them about events I’ve attended recently. Here are some of my favorites from the past:

• Poetry and Pie Night -- Rachel McKibbens and Jacob Rakovan used to host this at their home. They now own The Spirit Room and host this special event there. Back in the days when it was at their home, you’d get details via email about poets they’d be featuring that night, and attendees would be asked to bring a pie or a dessert. Then a sugar bowl would be passed around for donations to the poets.
• The Spectral Carnival -- This event is put on by The Yards and is always a wild card--there’s face painting, hula hoopers, musicians, and more.
• A friend of mine from NYC has said of us up here in Rochester, “You guys are good at inventing your own fun.” For example, my friend Ana from Peru has the most amazing dinner parties in her backyard in Brighton where she cooks authentic Peruvian food for us. In the past, my friends from UR and I have gotten together to cook up a ton of tamales. We’d make three different types, Guatemalan, Colardan, and Tex Mex. One year, we made over 300 tamales! Sometimes I’d make sangria and bring it over, or another friend would make coquito, basically Puerto Rican eggnog.

If you had $100 and two hours to kill in Rochester, how would you spend the money/time? 

I’d have a delicious brunch at the Woodcliff. Afterwards, I’d go to Hedonist and buy some chocolate. Then I’d wrap up with a massage somewhere, and maybe a manicure. Supporting local businesses through self-care!

What is your personal coping mechanism for cold/gray weather? 

Sometimes I binge on Netflix and Amazon Prime, diving into a whole season of a show or some good movies. I also like to invent new dishes in the kitchen. I’m a social butterfly, though, and like to get out. Having Uber and Lyft now is a plus, since it takes away the stress of having to clean off your car, drive in icy conditions, etc!

What is your favorite Rochester memory?

I got to meet Willie Colón at the Puerto Rican Festival many years ago. He’s a classic salsa musician and I got to go backstage with him and take a photo! On a real camera, before selfies and selfie sticks were a thing. This was in the late 90s. It was very cool. The Puerto Rican Festival is one of the longest-running festivals in Rochester and I highly recommend checking it out!

What makes Rochester unique?

Our friendly people. Rochesterians are sincere; you might not say the same about folks in other cities. Also, we have a wealth of arts and culture for a city of our size. Not to mention our rich history! We’ve got Garth Fagan, Susan B. Anthony, the MAG, Frederick Douglass. And of course George Eastman--whose vision was to make Rochester attractive so people would come here to work at Kodak.

What do you think could be improved?

There was a report published recently showing that our schools are rated very low. We have a lot of work to do addressing issues related to poverty. There’s a huge segregation of neighborhoods. We have work to do. There are people who need housing or medical resources, and we need to find ways to help these people get access to those resources.

What's one way people could get involved in making Rochester a better place?

I believe in community activism and being civic-minded. The saying, “To whom much is given, much is required,” is often on my mind. I like to give back, whether it’s through tutoring a student, showing up to do a task, or serving on a board. Take time to think about: What is it that means a lot to me? How can I use my skills? If you’re handy, help build a house with Habitat!

Sometimes you don’t realize that little things to us are big things to others. I used to volunteer with Rochester Refugee Resettlement, taking a Somalian family to the Public Market and to Tops. Helping them navigate our retail system was huge for them! I even took them to a meat market because they wanted to buy camel meat and didn’t believe me when I said we don’t sell that in the U.S., but that’s another story.

If Rochester was a food, what would it be?

We have tremendous diversity, so I’d say Rochester is jambalaya. There are so many cultures here, and that dish represents many cultures--African, European, Native. It represents a wide variety of tastes.

What advice would you give to someone who's new to Rochester and wants to get to know the area?

Roll up your sleeves and do your research. Be open to new things. People miss the boat on events and programs because they’re too plugged in to their own friend circles. Be ready and willing to experience a lot of things. You’ll be amazed at all you can do or see.

Also, don’t be afraid to do things by yourself! Life is too short to let other people’s availability restrict your fun or curiosity. Some of my best afternoons have been spent exploring on my own.