Throughout my years as an undergrad, I was a leader at my church, worked for humanitarian organizations, assumed several student government positions and had a part-time job, apart from performing rap and spoken word poetry.

Summer of 2013, I joined The Governor’s Hispanic Fellow Program back in New Jersey, which put me on the map in building a potent network, developing real world skills and having reputable resume experience. We went from speaking to middle schoolers about college in the same room Albert Einstein once stood in at Princeton University to creating business pitches and Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno (this is not an endorsement) welcoming us to the State House Chambers in Trenton. A lot for a young’n from the hood!

Music, politics and community outreach to the side, physical fitness was important to me as well. I played baseball for a league while also hitting the gym five times a week. At 21 years old, weighing 170 lbs, I was able to max my bench press at 265 lbs. Dudes who were 20 lbs heavier than me were lifting the same as me and I could also squat 400+ lbs (I know it sounds like I’m bragging because I am).

Now at 24, the grind continues.  I’ve gotten to work for large government agencies, been to six foreign countries in the last four years and my rap game has evolved immensely!

Oh, did I mention that I produce beats now in addition? (You can check one out below)

And although my academic focus for my masters has been on government and nonprofit management, I have expanded my knowledge into the realm of finances from understanding IPOs (Initial Public Offerings) to why the Glass-Steagall Act was implemented. Basic economic terms such as supply and demand and how elasticity affects it all have been added to my vernacular while still maintaining interest in talking to my Comic Con nerds about anime series’ such as Dragon Ball and how founder Akira Toriyama used Eastern stories such as “Journey to the West” to create a franchise now worth billions of dollars. I also enjoy drawing the characters as their hardcore image motivates me to one day learn the Kamehameha (I can dream right?)

There is more I can outline such as nearly applying to seminary as a religion enthusiast or how my first blog post, dropping mid-July, received 71 views for that month. In January, in front of sponsors the likes of Southwest Airlines, ESPN, AT&T, HISPA chose me for the opportunity to be one of two hosts of honor for their annual Three Kings Banquet Gala (this is an endorsement).

Goldman Sachs also selected me to go to their orientation for a summer internship opportunity, though still pending if selected for the position (For those who are not familiar, you are not allowed to even attend an orientation if your resume and cover letter are not up to par, basically an interview for the interview. In a sense, I guess I should be honored hahaa). There is a rationale as to why I shared these areas of experience and accomplishment with you all.

What I would like to propose is for us to aim to be renaissance men and renaissance women….

Renaissance Man

A cultured man of the Renaissance who was knowledgeable, 

educated, or proficient in a wide range of fields.

“Renaissance Man.” Dictionary.com, Dictionary.com, http://www.dictionary.com/browse/renaissance-man.

Being a spokesperson for different subject matters is necessary in today’s age. To be adept in contrasting areas of expertise is a skill not of one who is egocentric or arrogant, but rather the contrary: humble. The fact that you are interested (whatever the motivation) in strengthening different areas of your knowledge base is commendable. In doing so, you make life easier for those around you by giving them comfort that you have a relatable item of discussion, which in turn allows you to better manage your interactions with people.

Now some of this is up for interpretation as everything has pros and cons (some bosses and friends capitalize on this), but let’s just say generally this is a good thing. When I look back at traditional renaissance men such as Leonardo Da Vinci, Galileo and Isaac Newton, they were world changers! They shook the foundations of their societies with only ideas!! Forget the fact that they were innovative in other ways.

The one thing they all sought to do whether through art, philosophy or science was improve the fabric of thinking that existed in the society they lived in…

What we now call “Renaissance Men” were actually Revolutionaries as they transformed an entire generation and generations to come, at times AT A COST. Men who received backlash, punishment and public scorn became decision makers whom years later, in some cases centuries later, would be revered and respected as icons and idols.

These thinkers and others would eventually lead our more Modern Day Renaissance Men and Women in the form of Steve Jobs, Jay Z, and Oprah to being the influencers they came to be. Not long before them, we had Langston Hughes, Ronald Reagan and Albert Einstein and we can continue down the line to the Benjamin Franklin’s and Frederick Douglass’ of history who proved to be multi-talented, but this is good for now!

To conclude, the meaning of the above word “renaissance man” states being knowledgeable. Whether through the arts, politics or other miscellaneous topics, my encouragement is continue to be knowledgeable. They say that the hardest person to teach is the one who knows it all.

As a famous classic/ renaissance man in his own rights once said:

“I know that I am intelligent, because I know that I know nothing.”                                                                                                                     Socrates

“Socrates Quotes.” BrainyQuote, Xplore, www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/s/socrates383380.html.

Let us strive to be men and women who are multi-talented so that our impact can be more expansive, interpersonal and meaningful! We may not realize nor recognize at the moment, but our ability to connect can be a difference maker in certain events that may or may not happen in this lifetime.

Now that’s deep!

My Music

Check out one of my beats: