Student Spotlights

Naylea Santos

Alumni

A poster featuring the person's image and the answer to two profile questions.

Where is home/Where did you grow up?

I grew up in the Dominican Republic but moved to the U.S. and have been a New Yorker for a solid decade!

What is your favorite part of attending UR?

My favorite part of attending UR was meeting so many different people and learning about their experiences. Exploring their unique backgrounds and experiences made me realize we all came together at the university with distinct goals, yet surprisingly found common ground in extracurriculars, majors, and personal interests.

What are you most proud of in your academic and/or professional career so far?

I take pride in holding a job that not only continues to be a learning experience but is also genuinely enjoyable. Considering the challenges in today's job market, it hasn't been an easy journey for anyone. However, I'm proud to be in a position where I can witness personal growth and constantly acquire new skills.

What is the most interesting project you've worked on at DMS?

Without a doubt, the most interesting project I worked on at DMS was ARrange, my Capstone project. Taking on the challenge of delving into Augmented Reality (AR) for this project was something I knew I wanted from the start. When I discovered a team equally enthusiastic about creating an AR-based product, I jumped right in. Capstone was like the DMS experience in a nutshell—lots of teamwork, loads of learning (testing our product was a trip), and we ended up with a slick, fully functional app and some besties along the way. 😉

Where has your degree in DMS taken you?

I am currently working in Marketing and Engagement at the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce.

If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

Teleportation! It would save lots of time and money.

What's one thing people don't know about you that they would be surprised to find out?

I’m very into making videos and since around 2020 I challenged myself to record at least one video every day, resulting in a year-end recap with just one second from each day. It's my little way of turning ordinary moments into a cool montage!

What, if anything, are you currently binge-watching? Or reading?

I’m currently reading Educated by Tara Westover and watching Squid Game: The Challenge.

What’s one thing on your bucket list?

To plan a trip to Japan. Not sure when but someday!