CONTINUING ALBERTUS’ MERCURY AWARD-WINNING BLOG SERIES ON BLACK BRILLIANCE
Charisma Prince ‘24 (she/her) is currently a junior at Albertus Magnus College, and is trying to leave her mark. Originally from The Commonwealth of The Bahamas, she is an international student that decided to leave her country for a chance at higher education. With both of her parents being educators she understood the importance of having a quality education. Coming from a small island country made Charisma want to have that same experience in college, a place where she could connect with people and not be a number.
She was always involved as a student leader in high school and wanted to continue this at Albertus. She had ample choices with the numerous clubs, organizations, and associations at Albertus. She was an Orientation Leader and then transitioned to a Resident Assitant, a Senator in the Student Government Association, Secretary for the Honors Program, Marketing and Promotions Coordinator for the Campus Activities Board, a Writing Tutor, and an Academic Coach at the Lillian Adley Germain Center for Academic Success, and a current Intern for the Marketing and Communications Department here at Albertus.
With big aspirations to become an attorney, Charisma thought that her choice of a major would be a no-brainer. The typical track for an aspiring attorney is an undergraduate degree in political science and then law school. However, during her freshman year registration, her then-advisor Dr. Christine Atkins encouraged her to take elective courses to explore different fields. As a result, Charisma took a Principles of Marketing course with Dr. Clara Munson and fell in love with the world of marketing. Shortly after, she declared a double major in Political Science and Marketing Management.
At Albertus, Charisma has had the opportunity to create marketing plans, present at conferences, and conduct research in her future career fields. With encouragement from her professors and advisors, she was given the opportunity to participate in events she could never have dreamed of as a young girl from a small island. In 2022, Charisma presented her research project entitled Globalization Through The Eyes of an Eggplant under the tutelage of Dr. Ross Edwards. Dr. Jonathan Sozek suggested she submit an application to Wesleyan’s CTW Undergraduate Symposium in the Arts and Humanities, which was accepted. Charisma had the opportunity to present at this symposium with other members of the Albertus Honors Program.
Some experiences at Albertus can’t be quantified by grades and awards. Her favorite experiences at Albertus are those that exist outside the spectrum of the “traditional” expectation of education. She appreciates the time that her professors have taken to guide her. She will never forget all the staff members who have helped. She thanks: Dr. Bourgeois, who has consistently encouraged her and is willing to read any paper that she writes; Dr. Edwards, who has sat through long advising sessions of Charisma “panicking” about what her future will look like and that has offered her advice on how to write and think like a political scientist; and Professor Aniskovich, JD who asserts to Charisma regularly that she will get into law school and quells her worries. These people have believed in her from her first day at Albertus.
“The Staff at Albertus believe in me more than I believe in myself. It is a comforting feeling to have people with years and years of experience in their respective fields have faith in you.”