Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Passaic County and attended Montclair State University.
As a child, did you have a nickname?
Yes. My family and some friends call me DJ. The J stands for my middle name, which is Janina. Even to this day, I respond to my nickname.
Where did you attend high school?
I went to Wayne Hills High School, which is a public high school.
What was your favorite subject?
English. I always really loved writing; it was a way for me to fully express myself. It came very natural to me, and I held nothing back when I wrote –academically, journals, diaries, everything.
What were some other activities that you participated in at the time?
I always had a passion for dance. I was the captain and president of my school dance association, which was a very powerful experience. Dance took up the majority of the season so I couldn’t do much else besides dancing. I really enjoyed it, especially because dancing is also a big part of my culture. Growing up, my family always played music and we would dance for fun.
Was there a specific type of dance that you liked?
I loved lyrical, jazz and hip-hop. In high school, there was this style called aerobics and it’s a lot of fitness moves to music, which was different and unique. I love hip-hop and still love to dance to anything now—anything with a good beat.
In high school, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Originally, I was so sure that I was going to be a lawyer. Then, I took a prelaw elective, and I realized the field wasn’t for me. I made the decision in my junior year of high school that I was going to transition out of law and become an English teacher. I had the best junior year English teacher, Ms. Ventimiglia. She was without a doubt my inspiration to become a passionate, memorable educator. So I knew very early what I wanted to do, which really was a blessing in disguise!
So your major in college was English?
I double majored in—English and Secondary Education with a special certificate in K-12 Education.
Who was your role model in college?
I was a resident assistant (RA), someone that makes sure that, for the housing, everything is happening in order and the residents are safe. I lived in an apartment and I was in charge of my roommates on the floor. I had a boss—she was the director and I called her Ms. Alicia even until today! She never gave up on me and always told me the truth about everything- not just tell me things I want to hear. She made sure that I was happy and she led by example. I met her when I was a freshman, so I was 18 years old. Thankfully, we are still really good friends today.
Did you have a best friend in college?
Yes! I really met a lot of great people in college, all of which I am close to today. One of my first best buddies I met was Phy—we connected right away. On the first day of my move in, when we got to our dorm rooms, it was very messy and I was cleaning to music—that’s when we both realized we shared a love of music and dancing. She was a Theater Arts major, and we just realized that shared a multiple qualities. We still are extremely close today and we even discuss creative lesson ideas together. It’s refreshing, it’s hard to meet genuine people, let alone stay connected to them!
What kind of jobs did you have before BCA?
Funny, my father and I were reminiscing and he reminded me the other day that I once had 3 jobs in my sophomore year of college. I had many jobs, but it wasn’t about just making money—I liked staying busy, enjoyed my work environment and making people feel good. The first “minor” jobs consisted of babysitting and working at my hometown bagel café, Sunrise Bagels. Ironically, you learn a lot about yourself and other people when you “butter bagels.” In college, I was a tutor for college students, and later on for high school students; I taught reading comprehension and writing. I was also a lifeguard, swim teacher and a teacher’s assistant (TA). I worked for admissions at MSU and I hosted campus tours as a tour guide. I was a Resident Assistant (RA) and it was also in college when I started my small, freelance makeup artistry business that I still dabble with today.
How did your makeup business start?
It started as a conversation. I did my friend’s makeup for a homecoming dance that we had every year and she asked me, have you ever thought about making this a business. I said no, I just do it because its fun. My mom was a party planner for Estee Lauder, which is a huge makeup corporation. Growing up, I thought it was fascinating how you could experiment with your facial features and then if you don’t like it, you can just take it all of. It’s nothing permanent. I really enjoyed that – I thought it was fun, exciting and different. Next to dancing, that was my time to be creative. So my mother is really the one that sparked the interest in makeup.
So then you started doing makeup for people?
Later on I just realized, why not make some extra money? I was in college, and the networks were insane. I started doing makeup for the dance team at MSU and for all events. Through social media, my name spread and it became a great, lucrative business.
Most of it was through word of mouth. I would take a picture and post it on my Tumblr site, and people would then hire me for bigger events, like fashion shows at MSU, sorority events, dance competitions, and theater shows. People in my hometown started to find out about my work in college. So then, it grew bigger –I started to do proms and sweet 16s. It just continued to grow from there. I knew all along teaching was my number one passion, so now the priority is teaching and not running the makeup business.
The jump from college graduation to BCA – how did that happen?
At the time, people had to go through student teaching in college before graduating as a last internship. I taught in Newark, at University High School, a magnet school, similar to BCA. I also applied for a maternity leave position at Elmwood Park High School. Both experiences were amazing. Very eclectic students- we learned from each other- it was a very humbling experience. I still think about those students today. I hope they enjoyed the classroom discussions. It is phenomenal because I was in my career within months of graduating college.
How did the interview go?
The interview was nerve racking. There was an accident on Route 208 and I arrived 5 minutes late. I remember last October I came in for a demo lesson, and I knocked over the fall decorations by security. I knocked down a fabric pumpkin because I was so nervous and anxious to do the demo lesson! I thought that there was no way that they would ever call me again. I was unprofessional, late, and nervous. It showed and I got really red in my face—I just thought they would never call me.
But they did call you!
Yes! The following day after the demo lesson! I couldn’t believe it, I thought it was a joke; I thought they were kidding. I couldn’t believe it—I read the email three times and almost dropped my baby niece!
Did/Do you enjoy teaching?
I started at BCA as a freshman and sophomore English teacher, which was last year—I started on January 3rd. I really liked the freshman and sophomore curriculum, and the students were extremely nice and welcoming. I was nervous about starting mid-year because a lot of the students were used to their previous teaching style. I think it was a hard transition for them, but I was excited that they were willing to give me a fair chance.
Did you start getting more involved in the BCA community in other ways, besides teaching?
Right away, I made a vow to myself to get involved as fast as I could. I really wanted to know about BCA’s community, especially because I attended a traditional high school and I thought this school is very unique. The first thing I picked up was Lift Her Up, which is a morning club. We advocate for women’s education, financial and educational opportunities and that is something very near and dear to my heart. Then I started to get involved in Sources of Strength, a nationally funded group where we connect with students who want someone trusted to communicate with–that really spoke to me as well. I became the class of 2018 freshman class advisor. Also, I’m really proud of starting my project, “The Power of the Self”, something I picked up right when I started.
How did “The Power of the Self” project come to exist?
I realized how dedicated and passionate the students are about academics. I challenged myself to think: how can we parallel that dedication and passion to something that’s non-academic? The students always work very hard and that reminded me of myself—always staying busy. I remember having doubts about a lot f things and I didn’t want my students to go through that internal, destructive thinking. I wanted to create a project that makes students stop and reflect about their experiences—both good and bad. I wanted them to admit that we all are flawed, but flaws can be turned into strengths—only if we self reflect.
What are some interesting things that you decided to do to in your project that helped serve the purpose of the class?
The “I Am Sentence” is a project where students write down three words. One word is something that they know they are, the second word is something that they are trying to work on, and the third word is the ultimate goal. For example, some students put: I am happy, judgmental and successful. Every day they have to read their sentence in mirror for 2 minutes, either in the morning or at night. That assignment is about positive thinking. The law of attraction is, constantly thinking what you believe and then actually making it happen. What people think about most is what they become. Not only is it a confidence boost, but it also shows how to be honest with yourself and accept responsibility.
What are some of your current hobbies?
Dancing. I love making playlists, or talking about music with friends. That’s a big one. Staying active, trying new recipes. I like researching self-reflecting activities for personal use and for the classroom. Experimenting with makeup is always fun. Yea, I guess those are my main hobbies.
You said baking and cooking—are you a foodie?
I am a huge foodie. I love everything about food! I love different foods from all different cultures, and I am very open-minded to testing out new food. I like trying different types of food at least once a week.
Do you have other plans for things that you want to do here or goals you want to fulfill at BCA?
I definitely want to get my masters. I want to parallel my experiences here with my masters. I want it to be something that is not just an assignment for my professor, but something I can reflect on, deeply. I would love to take the dance club to a new level, and turn it into more than just a club—maybe even a team. I think that’s one thing the school is really missing-a dance team. Lastly, continuing to be an upbeat, optimistic educator. Someone that makes students connect with what we are learning to the 21st century. English is so much more than merely reading and writing- it starts with communication. Before we have actions, we have a thought. Even 25 years from now, that will always be a genuine goal of mine as an educator—keep those discussions as intriguing as possible!
What are five things you would use to hash tag your life?
#Blessed #eclectic #silly #determined #snapsonsnaps