Starting college is an exciting time in anyone’s life. As our first-year students begin to take classes, participate in events, and join different student groups, we, the John Jay community, want them to feel welcomed, supported, and valued. Our First-Year Focus series will serve as a virtual introduction to some of the newest members of our John Jay family. As you’ll see throughout the series, these students are exceptionally talented, creative, and driven to change the world for the better. Enjoy getting to know them.

Stefany Quiroz ’24, a first-generation college student and Sociology major from Brooklyn, New York, knows how inequities within an education system can negatively impact students from underserved communities. When she wanted to apply to Stuyvesant, a specialized high school in New York City, and needed to take a test to get in, she realized she, and her local community, didn’t have the resources to adequately prepare her for the test. “While all of my peers who came from affluent neighborhoods had been taking prep classes for months—some years—I attempted to prep on my own and was running out of time. When that didn’t work, I attended free prep classes at my school, but to my dismay, they couldn’t prepare me at all.” The experience gave Quiroz insight into how inequities within many of our systems can hold back communities of color. And, it’s a difficult reality she’s hoping to change as a student and eventual alumna of John Jay. “Combating educational inequity is my goal and I know John Jay will prepare me with the skills I need to fight system inequities and equalize an education system that has left poor kids of color behind for far too long.”

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your passion for education equity.
I am the proud daughter of immigrants from Honduras. I’m also the oldest of four kids and I’m the first person in my whole family to attend college. My inability to prep for a specialized high school test is just one example of inequities within New York City’s public education system. While I attended the specialized high school, my neighborhood friends were attending zone high schools where they had access to little to no resources, and slim prospects for a good future. I realized that these disparities were everywhere. The divide between which communities have the good schools and the resources to succeed, and which communities go without, is blatant and palpable.    

Your experiences inspired you to help Black and Latinx kids from low-income communities get a leg up on their education. Can you tell us about your efforts?
I tutored kids who were living in a shelter in the Bronx through a program called Sparks Within Reach. Now, as one of the directors of the program, I get to witness these kids’ growth and work with the board in developing programming. I’m also a director of RISE (Ready to Inspire Scholastic Excellence), a program designed to combat the lack of outreach to underrepresented middle schools. We’re attempting to address the demographic disparities in elite high schools across New York state where the number of Black and Latinx students are low. Currently, RISE is working with a middle school in Brooklyn, providing students with weekly sessions on test preparation, writing workshops, and interviewing skills. And, I also worked at Project Reach Youth as the Senior Assistant of Media Outreach and Branding. This organization provides leadership training, HIV/STD peer education programming, and lessons in social activism, so that students can become agents of change in their communities.

What made you want to come to John Jay?
I consider myself to be a social activist and someone who is engaged in her community. I’m driven by my own lived experiences as a low-income, first-generation college student, who is a woman of color. What drew me to John Jay was its focus on exploring justice through different perspectives as well as the College’s commitment to equity, integrity, learning, diversity, and community. I’m excited to be part of such a strong, intellectual community at John Jay. With an open heart and mind, I can’t wait to learn about the world through the eyes of my peers. At John Jay, I know I’ll constantly be learning and broadening my horizons academically and personally.

How has the pandemic and distance learning impacted your life?
At first, it was really difficult because it was such an abrupt change and I have younger siblings. I had to guide them with virtual learning and help teach them during the school day, all while trying to balance my own schoolwork. I’m also a social person and learning in-person is easier for me, so I had to adapt. But I did things that helped me handle the situation better. I improved my time management and organization skills, so I was able to do all my work on time and stopped my habit of procrastinating. And, I started including self-care to my daily schedule, because your health—mentally and physically—is so important.

What are some of your biggest concerns coming into a virtual-learning environment?
For me, I’m less worried now than I was in March. It’s tough having to start our first year of College away from campus, but it’s comforting and reassuring to know that we are all in this together. I’m really excited to virtually meet all my new classmates and make friends, and I look forward to the day I get to step on campus and meet everyone in person.

Are there any clubs that you’re particularly excited to join, or classes you’re really looking forward to attending?
There are so many clubs I want to join. I’m considering the Student Council, as well as student organizations La Voz, the Latin American Student Organization (LASO), JJ DREAMers, and Leading Womxn of Tomorrow. As for classes, I love my schedule for this fall semester. I’m super excited to take “Human Rights and Law in Latin America” with Professor José Luis Morín.

What do you hope to take away from your first semester at John Jay?
I hope to come away from my first semester at the College with new friendships. I honestly can’t wait to start learning and I hope this semester is full of knowledge and fun. I know it’s going to be an amazing start to the next four years at John Jay.