Telling Our Marist Stories
Name: Victoria Bova
Year: Sophomore (2020)
Hometown: East Meadow, Long Island, NY
Major: Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing; Communications with a concentration in Advertising
Campus Activities: Resident Assistant, Marist Ambassador, Fox P.A.W., Marist band, RA Advisor for North End RHC, Advertising Club, NSLS
Q. What is the most meaningful campus activity you do?
A: I think being an RA is the most meaningful because I get the most out of the position. It helps me with social skills, leadership skills, community development skills, dealing with different people, and overall helps to mature as a college student.
Q. What is your ideal job?
A: I just want to play with a bunch of puppies...it would be one where I sit in a corner office with a really nice view of the city and there is just a bunch of puppies around me.
Q. Who has been the most influential person in your life?
A: Half mom, half sister. My sister set the mark for everything she has done, so I wanted to either meet or pass everything she has done. That is what has pushed me to do a lot of what I am involved in today while also trying to do my own thing.
Q. What is some advice you would give your freshman self?
A: Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there because the rewards are more beneficial than the fear of doing it.
Q. What is some advice you would give your future, senior year-self?
A: Just please tell me you have a job lined up...Know who you are and I hope you had fun.
Image courtesy of Edwin Forson
Name: Benjamin Ward
Year: Sophomore (2020)
Hometown: Schenectady, NY
Major: Media Studies and Production
Campus Activities: MCTV
Q. What do you do for MCTV’s Studio A?
A: I am the co-host. I am also the treasurer for MCTV. I work for other shows too [doing] behind the scenes, working as director, editor, and writer.
Q. What was your favorite television show growing up and why?
A: Probably The Office because I loved all the actors; the actors were really good. It was a long show so I just followed along with it. For years I would watch reruns on TV until I actually watched the whole show and watched it three times through.
Q. What is your dream job?
A: Documentary Film Maker for Planet Earth, Cinematographer.
Q. If you were not in this major, what would you be doing?
A: A Science probably, engineering.
Q. If you could create a film about anything, what would it be about?
A: I’m just starting to write about my aunt who died before I was born. She had a really interesting life and I wanted to meet her. So I would make a movie about that.
Name: Elif Usuloglu
Year: Sophomore (2020)
Hometown: Istanbul, Turkey
Major: Studio Art
Campus Activities: Marist Fox Photography and Fox P.A.W.
Q. Why did you switch from an English major to an art major?
A: I have always liked art and I knew that I wanted to do it, I just didn’t think of it as a major. But when it came to English I don’t like English literature, but I do like creative writing, so I switched English to creative writing and made art as my main major.
Q: What is your favorite medium to work with?
A: I like watercolor, I’m still learning how to work with it, but I like the vibrant colors and how it flows. I like when two colors mix; it is always unexpected.
Q: How else do you express yourself creatively?
A: By the way I dress or style my hair. If I get bored I’ll dye my hair a different color, and I like to dress with different fabrics and textiles. A lot of quirky outfits.
Q.What do you want your art to accomplish?
A: Mean something and get the image from my head to real life. Just to have some effect on people, whether it to think or have emotion.
Q. What defines art to you?
A: I like different textures coming together, if one part is smooth and one rough, with cool colors.
Image courtesy of Edwin Forson
Name: Luke Brown
Year: Sophomore (2020)
Hometown: Scarsdale, New York
Major: Media Production with a concentration in Film and TV
Campus Activities: MCTV
Q. What is the most influential film you have ever seen?
A: The Imitation Game
Q. What is your favorite thing about Marist?
A: I love the campus, how you can walk down to the river and look at the view.
Q. Who is someone you look up to in your personal life and in your career?
A: In my personal life I look up to my grandfather. He raised six kids, had odds jobs sometimes to pay the bills. No one ever handed him anything but he always kept his kind personality and affinity for jokes. To keep it short, if I could be half the man he is that would be a great achievement. In professional life I would say Aaron Sorkin; he has written amazing bodies of work that inspire me and I look up to him on a professional level.
Q. If you weren’t studying this what would you be studying and why?
A: I would probably be in pre-law. I worked in a law office when I was 17 so I know the in and outs. It could provide me with a stable income and a nice life.
Q. What is your ideal job?
A: I want to own a production company and be a director.
Name: Sandra Askariza
Year: Sophomore (2020)
Hometown: Kigali, Rwanda
Major: Economics and Business with a concentration in Finance
Campus Activities: SPIE, ARCO, BSU, Campus Ministry, community service, Marist Ambassadors, Diversity and Inclusion board of SGA.
Q. What brought you to Marist?
A: It’s mostly because I wanted to try something completely different from where I am from. Part of it is also because my university counselor from my high school recommended Marist and I looked into it. I have a few aspirations and one of them includes acquiring knowledge and investing back in my country. Marist also has a great economics and business program which happens to be something I am interested in.
Q. What do you think are the keys to success in college?
A: There are so many, but I believe the most important thing is to do or study something you love. Stay focused but have fun too. College can be a lot itself. Spare sometime to socialize and meet new people. That’s how memories are made.
Q. What is something that motivates you?
A: The fact that at the end of this all, I want to give back to my country. There is so much to do out there in the world and I want to be part of that change.
Q. What is one of your best memories?
A: I have made so many and I am sure I will keep making more. One of my best memories is definitely when I went back home over the summer after my freshman year, having made new amazing friends at Marist. I appreciated home more than I ever have.
Q. What is some advice you think everyone should hear?
A: My parents always tell me that it always seems impossible until it’s done. Don't be afraid to try something new, change is good sometimes. Laugh just a little bit more, it helps keep a person positive. Lastly, appreciate the little things. Something that helps is praying about everything too.