Information Technology (IT) junior Jennifer Sterling recently traveled to Washington, DC to represent Florida State University (FSU) at the Colombian Embassy during the national PorColombia conference.

PorColombia is a nationally recognized student organization created to promote and provide for the social welfare of the Colombian-American student body at FSU. Their goal is to foster unity by developing a network among Colombian students and encourage student participation in the promotion of Latin America’s cultural expression. 

The national chapter of PorColombia ensured the time of FSU’s chapter at the embassy was filled with enriching conversations covering topics like mental health, female and Colombian representation in government, the future of agriculture, and their role as Colombian-Americans in supporting those seeking refuge in the US.

Sterling shared with CCI that although the trip was not intended to assist with her IT degree, it did offer her the opportunity to network with BlackRock’s Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Mrs. Jessica Palacios; a fellow Colombian-American and first generation college student. Sterling said that she was able to connect and relate to Palacios’ experiences, find familiarity in their upbringings, and overall gain a friend in the industry.

“What I took out of this trip is to not be afraid to have conversations with strangers. Don’t be afraid to join an organization on campus that doesn’t have much to do with your major,” says Sterling. “On this trip, I made it my mission to speak to people in the conference that I normally wouldn’t gravitate towards due to age difference, language barriers, etc. This effort introduced me to Jessica, Tatiana Torres, and countless other panelists.”

PorColombia is open to all students and can be found on NoleCentral or Instagram.