Center for the Digital Arts SUNY Westchester Peekskill • 27North Division Street Peekskill NY10566• 914-606-7300 14 It wasn’t until I started classes at SUNY Westchester Community College that I realized how much I loved helping people. Whether it was staying after class to try and explain a lesson someone may not have fully understood or helping a student in the tutorial back on the main campus, this school has given me a wonderful opportunity to make this dream a reality. I started attending SUNY Westchester Community College back in Fall of 2018. The classrooms where I once participated in classes are now where I assist both faculty and students alike. Come Spring of 2019 I was an intern in the cybersecurity lab in Valhalla, even going to DefCon with them that summer. Though the pandemic threw a wrench in furthering these plans, I was happy to see a job opportunity working with the Peekskill site in early Summer 2023. In the time I’ve been working here, I am happy to say my love for helping others has not diminished in any way. A little about myself: one of my hobbies includes going for walks. Living so close to the Hudson River gives me a great place to walk around, either listening to the sounds of the waves crashing against the beach or to my current music fixation—alternative and indie music. I also enjoy playing Dungeons and Dragons, which I have been doing once a week over the past five years. I love the different fantasy classes and subclasses the game allows for, as well as all the unique races and magical items. I have played in several different campaigns and many different classes, but my favorite has to be the Bard and their ability to use interesting spell combinations that no other class can perform. While I am currently pursuing a teaching degree, I am also taking advantage of the software I get to use by working for the college. I have been learning how to use Adobe Photoshop and I will be learning how to record and edit videos using Adobe Premiere. So far I have been using a camera to record gameplay of my other hobbies, including Yu-Gi-Oh and Pokémon. Recording myself playing not only helps me become better at these games but also gives me the footage needed to practice using Premiere. I would love to teach a class on one of these programs some day in the future. I am so glad to have been given this type of opportunity where I can flourish and continue to learn. I look forward to giving back to the community in the very same halls I once roamed as a young student. —James Page Staff Spotlight Jozaiah Douglas is a Marketing Major who is currently taking five classes here at SUNY Westchester Peekskill. This is not Jozaiah’s first-time taking classes at this location. His journey began at the age of 13, when he joined the Summer Youth Arts Technology Program in 2018 and signed up for 3D Animation, and Digital Painting and Drawing. In addition, he later attended classes at the center after school in the Spring of 2019. When asked about his experience he said, “It made me realize I was always a creative thinker.” Now, as a freshman in college, Jozaiah says that SUNY Westchester Peekskill has, “helped me think for myself. I learned how to see different perspectives, and understand different viewpoints on topics, particularly from other cultures and countries. This way of thinking has inspired me to listen to different types of music, be inspired by some of their artistic viewpoints, and implement them in my own way. I ask myself ‘How can I apply marketing to my music?’ It doesn’t have to be perfect. I see my music as a product. “Some of the advantages of taking classes at SUNY Westchester Peekskill are the convenient distance (close to home), how everything is accessible, and the professors — they are fun, easy to talk to, understanding, and know what they are talking about. “I’ve always felt like I’m meant to be on stage. I used to perform in front of my parents. I danced for the church, ‘Raise 2 Praise’. My mother is someone I look up to and inspires me every day. She went to F.I.T. and has been instrumental in the way I see the world; she is an artist, fashion designer, hairstylist, entrepreneur, and my creative director. I dedicate two hours to my music daily after completing my homework. I make one-to-two songs a day. I will incorporate the business side with my creativity. I want my music business to be very creative, authentic, unique, and different. I see myself as a successful music artist and musician.” Student Spotlight Jozaiah in Digital Painting & Drawing for Teens, 2018
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