Nizette Dugue is a junior attending Queens College in New York City.She is a second generation Hatian-American who is interested in film photography. She is a street, and landscape photographer, but she hopes to expand her repertoire and do portrait photography. Dugue finds that photography grants her a new perspective through the camera’s lens allowing her to see things differently.
Dugue is so inspired by her community that her dream is to one day help them. Although she isn’t sure as to how just yet she is working diligently to accomplish whatever comes her way. She is inspired by her father who works for an organization that uplifts children in communities that are struggling in Liberia. Nizette herself participates in monthly zoom sessions with these children reading to them “A message to the people, the course of African Philosophy”. It is a very humbling experience for her and they push her to work harder every day.
She has recently gained an affinity for politics as the recent election and the Covid-19 pandemic made her realize that some things are worth paying attention to and fighting for. She enjoys the aspect of making an opinion and providing evidence to back it up for an even stronger case. The pandemic and Trump presidency only made her realize that she saw herself fighting for issues on race, economic equality and climate change.
In her youth she characterized herself as oblivious however, she experienced many microaggressions as a child, she didn’t realize that they were directed toward her in a way that was meant to be as harmful, and she had internalized it, adding on to her fight of mental illness. Her article is about minority college students struggling to cope with mental health issues., with her first hand knowledge she will have created a comprehensive resource for those who also are struggling with their own mental illness. – Matthew Salazar
Untold Uptown 