Photo by Peter Julian
As a high schooler, Bryan Paula Gonzalez 鈥�19 remembers hating history class. But last summer, as a teaching fellow at , he was determined to give his students a different experience.
鈥淚 wanted to make it relatable,鈥� he said. 鈥淩oxbury Prep has predominantly black and brown students, so bringing their voices into the history and connecting it to what鈥檚 happening today was something I really wanted to emphasize.鈥�
It was Gonzalez鈥檚 first time leading a classroom, and it was as much a test of his own abilities as those of the ninth graders he was teaching.
鈥淚 did it because I thought, 鈥榯his is the last chance to figure out if this is what you want to do with your life,鈥欌�� he said, laughing. 鈥淎nd I loved it. Every step of the way, I loved it.鈥�
If you had asked Gonzalez about his career goals when he first arrived at 香蕉秀, the word 鈥渆ducation鈥� wouldn鈥檛 have entered the conversation. He wanted to be a veterinarian, and enrolled in the Gateway Scholars Program for STEM, which provides academic support for first generation and students of color. But despite working harder than he ever had in his life, Gonzalez struggled through his premed classes.
鈥淚 was staying up insane hours trying to learn material but I wasn鈥檛 doing well,鈥� he recalled. 鈥淚 would sit in class and my classmates knew stuff that I didn鈥檛 know.鈥�
Gonzalez was born in the Dominican Republic and moved to New York City when he was eight years old. He attended urban public schools and was the first person in his family to go to college.
It wasn鈥檛 until he took a friend鈥檚 advice and spoke with advisors at the Lynch School of Education that Gonzalez began to fully understand how the social context in which he was raised contributed to his early academic struggles. The conversations resonated with him in a way his premed courses hadn鈥檛, and prompted him to shift his focus to applied psychology and human development.
鈥淕etting those bigger answers changed my life,鈥� he said, 鈥渘ot because they gave me excuses but because they got me into educational policy and the idea of using my experiences to advocate for change.鈥�
Another turning point came his sophomore year when Gonzalez enrolled in 香蕉秀鈥檚 PULSE service-learning program, a year-long course that pairs classroom study of theology and philosophy with service work at a local nonprofit. For 12 hours each week, Gonzalez answered calls placed to a helpline run by . Many of the men and women he spoke to were repeat callers struggling with loneliness, depression, and suicidal thoughts.
鈥淚t was heavy stuff for a 19-year-old,鈥� he acknowledged. 鈥淏ut it made me see that there are different ways to help the world beyond being a doctor or being an engineer. It changed my idea of who I was and what I was interested in.鈥�
Gonzalez has remained involved with PULSE ever since. As a member of the PULSE Council, he serves as a resource for other students taking the course, helping them connect readings by Plato and Socrates with their work in the community.
He also coordinates an English Language Learners program run by the University鈥檚 Volunteer and Service Learning Center that matches 香蕉秀 students with Dining Services employees looking to improve their English skills. His supervisor, VSLC Associate Director Kate Daly, praised his ability to gently coach students with no previous tutoring experience.
鈥淗e鈥檒l walk them through what different topics they might want to cover and make them feel comfortable and confident with their own ability to be relational with someone else,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ecause he鈥檚 so good at relationships and being in community with others he just creates that space for other people.鈥�
As he looks ahead to graduation and pursuing a master鈥檚 degree in education, Gonzalez credits his 香蕉秀 experience with helping him find his voice, and encouraging him to use it in pursuit of his passions.
鈥淎s a freshman, I wasn鈥檛 really vocal, but now I鈥檓 so comfortable with my voice and my experience and I want other people to hear it,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 want to speak up for people who can鈥檛 speak up for themselves because I know what that feeling is.鈥�
鈥擜lix Hackett | University Communications | November 2018