Rafael Da Cruz

Major: Theology

Biography: Rafael Da Cruz is a first-generation college student from Westchester County, New York. He is currently working with renowned author and playwright Doron Ben-Atar on his book Roses Bloom in Winter. Rafael plans to attend medical school after graduation, specializing in emergency medicine.

Project Title: Roses Bloom in Winter

Faculty Mentor: Doron Ben-Atar, Department of History

Abstract: Love has been a mysterious concept since the beginning of time. It has varied in definition based on faith, experience, and culture. My proposed project is one of the heart. Through story-telling and poetry, I explore the most powerful and driving force humanity has ever encountered. Moreover, the subject of this project is me. I could argue for the humanities and why we ought to give more value to the arts, but I'm not going to. This book is vulnerable; I engage in a lot of dialogue with my reader about love and what it means to have that connection with one another, and often that means stepping into uncomfortable spaces. But I do so because I genuinely believe in the message I bring and the larger purpose that it can serve. Love has been written about before me and will continue to be written about long after I'm gone. However, my project will succeed if I can touch at least one person, inspire them to take that leap of faith and engage with love in ways they never thought possible. Without love, life loses its meaning. And in a country as "prosperous" as the United States, where the 2019 World Happiness Report ranked the nation at an all-time historic low, we ought to consider why.