Maria Abreu '16

Maria Abreu was born in the Dominican Republic and moved to the U.S. just 3 years ago. As a high school student she quickly picked up the English language as an advanced ESL student. She was advised to start her college education at a community college and she chose QCC as it was close to home and had a large variety of programs to offer her. Maria was part of the ASAP program as well as An America Needs You Fellow which helped her with many aspects of her college education.

Maria didn’t waste any time immersing herself into the college experience. She served as Senator for the College Discovery Program. She was also on the Dean’s List and had the opportunity to study abroad in Austria-which she says was an incredible opportunity.

Maria built great relationships with professors and staff at QCC which she credits for her many accomplishments. Professor Elaine Thompson encouraged her to get out of her comfort zone and challenge herself by entering a speech contest which she said she would have never done without the support of her professor. In addition she worked very closely with Ms. Grossman from the Office of Career Services who assisted her in obtaining an internship with the Foot Center of NY (an affiliate of the New York College of Podiatric Medicine) as a Credentials Coordinator. Ms. Grossman personally contacted the head of Human Resources to help facilitate the process. The Credentials Coordinator was a newly created position for a growing need in the field. This opportunity provided Maria with a breadth of experience that will serve her well as she continues her education in the field of Human Resource Management. Maria plans to attend Baruch College in the fall of 2016 and continue her studies in Human Resource Management. Her focus, dedication and hard work have helped her succeed and will continue to propel her to the next level of her education and career.