Sina Onu is a rising sophomore at Spelman College with an international studies major and a French minor on an MBA track.  They have working knowledge of 3 languages, two of which they know fluently, English and Spanish, and are coming up on four. Sina is working on French and is now learning Portuguese.  Sina grew up in a multicultural household where an international education was essential for growth, something their parents instilled in them well. 

They are immensely interested in studying migrations between the diaspora, especially within Latin America and the Caribbean. Sina acknowledges and even has experienced many aspects of African cultures and traditions that spanned across the diaspora, such as music, dance, food, and even spiritualism. Under the guidance of the Afro-Latinidades Institute, Sina’s goal is to preserve the integrity of these traditions, not letting Afro-Latine people and West Indians fade into the background, uplifting our voices in spaces of academia. 

Sina’s plan during these four years at Spelman College is to be able to conduct extensive research on cultural sensitivity and awareness to carry that on into the corporate space in an ever-evolving industry, Luxury.  They want to use the skills garnered at Spelman towards a career in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), a practice necessary for a more healthy and inclusive workplace, extending itself to society, something that many companies are working towards. The luxury space interests Sina precisely because, for the longest time, black and brown people have not seen themselves as the faces of high-class beauty, fashion, jewelry, or whatever else that was branded as upper society. 

Sina is excited to expand their knowledge at UCSB (University of Santa Barbara), to be able to understand Latin culture and history from a more nuanced perspective and to broaden their horizons.  They are also excited to gain insight and understanding from outstanding professors and mentors and connect with new people they did not think possible.  As Sina continues to grow and learn not only in their college career but even beyond that, they hope to be able to impact others in a positive and meaningful way, eventually being able to change the flow of workplace culture to a culture where not only are we the emphasis, but also the demographic. 

Sina believes that the Afro-Latinidades Institute is the perfect place to start. They are so incredibly grateful for the opportunity to study under a fantastic department and learn from this summer internship experience.