Growing up in Queens, I was always exposed to the cultural vibrancy that New York City has to offer. I would often visit museums, and attend plays with my parents. The Queens Museum (QM) was among the first sites I visited on my school trips.

In high school, I joined several after-school teen programs across museums in the city. Through these programs, I realized I wanted to set a career for myself in the arts. QM allowed me to start my career after graduating from college in 2020. I started in their Visitor Services department and, as part of that role, I worked with the Development team for three months. During this professional development, I realized my interest in building my skills toward a career in fundraising.

It’s quite motivating when you see an event or exhibition that you worked to get support for, come to life. More importantly, it’s a pleasure when community members enjoy these programs and return to the Museum. It gives me pride to give back to the borough I grew up in and continue to expand the cultural resources we make available to residents of Queens.

Development in the arts is quite different compared to other nonprofit sectors. However, I believe that fundamentally, the vision is to align someone else’s goals with those of your institution and its mission. Discovering that connection and common point with individuals truly makes me feel a purpose, and it challenges me to continue learning in this field.

Support for an organization can come in many different ways; development challenges you to be creative in finding opportunities to uplift the work of your organization.

When I was young, my dad and I would walk everywhere in the city. It was an opportunity that exposed me to everything New York has to offer. From then on, I knew I could never live in a place where walking isn’t accessible and that NY would always be home.

I’ve always kept an open mind when it comes to my career trajectory and pushed back on the notion of the conventional career path. Over the years, my interests have evolved and I’ve done my best to cultivate a diverse skill set that allows me to try new things.

Contributing to the cultural fabric of the City. It’s hard to walk through a neighborhood with a museum, theater, or public artwork that DCLA hasn’t helped fund.

Demonstrate a passion and commitment to the sector and soak up all the art and culture that the City has to offer.

When I started flying out of EWR.