Carlsky Belizaire

“Through the Hertog Scholars Program I have an opportunity to participate in multi-disciplinary seminars and immerse myself in the great works of world literature.”

Hertog Scholars, like Carlsky Belizaire, acquire the kind of analytic skills and perspectives necessary to take a leading role in our twenty-first century global community. As a Hertog Scholar and using his Macaulay Opportunities Fund to study abroad, Carlsky has taken the steps to become a citizen of the world.

Without any knowledge of Japanese or Mandarin, Carlsky few to Japan and China to study business and culture. “These two experiences allowed me to visit world wonders and Fortune 500 companies, learn how to communicate despite a language barrier, and ultimately see deeper into my own culture as well as the ones with which I interacted.”

To ground his political science major in real life application, Carlsky pursued internships with elected officials. He interned at the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office and was also selected by the Edward T. Rogowsky Program in Government & Public Affairs to intern in Washington, DC in the Office of Congressman Gregory Meeks on Capitol Hill. “At Macaulay, I was really able to grow and mold my interests both professionally and personally,” he says.

With a potential future as a lawyer or in government, Carlsky is honing his skills through his work as a Dialogue Fellow with the Center For Ethnic, Racial, and Religious Understanding at Queens College. This experience, he says, gives him the opportunity to “facilitate conversations on difficult issues in order to bridge understanding between diverse groups.” In addition, as a U.S. Student Fulbright selectee, Carlsky will be spending a year as an English Teaching Assistant in Taiwan.