Siena College
11/01/2024 | News release | Distributed by Public on 11/01/2024 12:33
The Untold Story of... Will Figueroa
- I was born and raised in Brooklyn, but both my parents and older siblings are from the Dominican Republic. As a result, my first language was Spanish; I didn't really speak English until I began kindergarten.
- I graduated from Erasmus Hall High School, a fine and performing arts school that was founded in Brooklyn in 1786 as the first secondary school chartered by New York State. My first degree is from Kingsborough Community College, so the Brooklyn roots run-deep.
- I perfected my English by watching PBS and reading over 1500 comic books as a kid. I still have my ever expanding collection which includes books from as far back as the 1930s.
- My dream job, since I was eight years old, was writing and drawing for Marvel Comics. I won't toot my own horn, but there are those who say I'm a superior artist (see below).
- Some folks on campus know of my passion for comics, animation, sci-fi, and Lego, but few know that I attended Pratt Institute, the prestigious private university with programs primarily in engineering, architecture, and fine arts. But after one year, I turned my heart to service and changed my major to Community Health.
- I was a first-generation college student. Confused and lost, I took time away from academics and joined AmeriCorps at 19 years old. It was there where I found my passion for serving others.
- I completed an associate degree in Community Health, followed by a bachelor's degree in Communication and Media, attending college nights and weekends while working full-time. I initially worked as the Assistant Director of an AmeriCorps program and, by age 24, advanced to the role of Director.
- Working with a non-profit organization, I opened a community center in the Bronx. The focus was helping inner-city kids go from the cradle to college. I set the foundation by establishing our after school, summer camp, and teen program. But after nearly 18 months of 12-plus hour days, I decided to relocate to upstate New York in 2016 and found my way to Siena.
- Serving in the Mission Office has been rewarding, but it was at Siena's Center for Academic Community Engagement where I learned that mentoring is a two-way street-both the mentor and the mentee can grow in unexpected ways. To expand on that, I am currently a graduate student at Dallas Theological Seminary pursuing master's in Christian Leadership. I've always believed that faith without action is incomplete.
- I was never a dog person, but when I was engaged to my wife she wanted one, so I got her two. Once we moved upstate, she wanted a son (to complete the set with our daughter), so we had Luke in 2018; then we had Ben during the Pandemic. I see a pattern developing and I'm very concerned about any future spousal requests…