Berkeley student multi-tasks to give back
By Alexandra Simon
He’s a techie putting humanity
first.
A Berkeley College student
from Flatbush is making big
strides on his path to building
a career in technology. Information
Technology (IT) major
Edwin Fleurant, who is of
Jamaican descent, is somewhat
of a jack of all trades working
to meet his goals in many
aspects. With a high admiration
of the IT field, he says it’s always
been something he wanted to
pursue.
“I love technology and I basically
grew up developing a love
for it, and even when I was in
Jamaica, I was always drawn
towards it because it caught my
eye,” said Fleurant.
Born in Brooklyn, Fleurant
spent most of his childhood
in Jamaica — completing his
third grade to high school education
there before returning
to the borough in 2016. Upon
his return, he struggled in his
search for a college of his choice
because he did not have any
scores from the college admission
test, SAT — which can
facilitate the college application
process.
Caribbean L 6 ife, Jan. 25–31, 2019
Eventually he discovered Berkeley
College, and was thrilled
to find an institute offering easier
admission, small classes, and
his major of interest — information
technology management.
Last fall, Fleurant snagged
an internship with leading
film company Marvel Studios.
Throughout his internship, his
tasks included helping filming
crew at the studio’s Greenpoint
location with the creation of
accounts, accessing shooting
equipment, and troubleshooting.
He says the experience was
unforgettable.
“It was amazing and everyday
I was learning something new
— it was very rewarding,” said
Fleurant.
Motivated by his school’s
career counseling services, he
joined the U.S. Army Reserves
to help in their IT department.
In addition to wanting something
flexible that could benefit
his education, Fleurant was
in search of somewhere to utilize
his skills, while earning the
chance to serve his country of
birth in some respect. For him,
the Army Reserves was the best
option.
“I want to have an impact
in the country where I live and
when I thought of how I could
help, I looked it up and felt like
that’s where I should be,” said
Fleurant.
His duties with the Reserves
includes going on details with
his unit on Staten Island, and
providing security for major
events such as the NYC Marathon.
It’s Fleurant’s goal to not only
work in a field that he loves, but
to excel in his career at a company
with a proven track record
in humanitarian issues — a big
requirement of his.
“I want to be with a company
that’s not just in it for the
profit,” he said. “I want to work
with a company that also shows
care for people and are not only
in it for themselves. I want to be
somewhere where I feel like I’m
doing my part.”
His time at Marvel cemented
those feelings because he often
witnessed volunteer work routinely
organized.
As an ardent empath — which
he credits to the loving upbringing
helmed by his grandmother
— Fleurant believes and practices
an altruistic outlook on
life.
“Growing up that’s how it was
with my grandma and now that
I’m older I see it really comes
out in me, and I like to take care
of people,” he said. “At the end
of day, we’re not here alone and
we all live together, and I believe
this is the way to live peacefully
and comfortably.”
He is looking out for everyday
people in technology. One
of his areas of interest is cyber
security — an area of technology
focusing on protecting vulnerable
information from being
accessed online.
Fleurant is expected to graduate
this Spring, and afterwards
plans on continuing his
search for a fulfilling career in
technology, hoping to manage
his own company one day.
Twenty-year-old Berkely College student, Edwin Fleurant.
The Information Technology Management major from Jamaica
has a humanitatrian outlook on his career path.
Berkeley College