One Graduate’s Mission to Open Doors

For Monroe University alumnus Christopher Streeks, success has never been about taking the easy route. It has been about showing up, putting in the work, and creating opportunities for others who follow his path.

Originally from Barbados, Streeks graduated from Monroe in 2019 with a degree in Computer Information Systems. Today, he works full time in information technology (IT) at New York University while pursuing graduate studies and running his own consulting company. He manages to juggle these responsibilities while also raising a young child and caring for his family.

Still, he feels a strong pull to give back to his community. Recently, Streeks reached out to Monroe leadership with a vision: What would it take, he wondered, to create and establish a scholarship pathway for international students from Barbados?

“I noticed that there were all these different countries represented at Monroe, but for some reason, Barbados was missing,” Streeks said. “I was the only Barbadian student in my class -- or at least the only one I knew of.”

Streeks became highly motivated to solve this problem, which led him to connect with the Consulate General of Barbados to help address the gap.

“That’s kind of when it clicked that I can actually bridge this gap,” he said.

While the partnership is still being finalized, Streeks is committed to seeing it through.

“I would love to be able to say that in five to 10 years, we were able to send 100-plus students from Barbados to Monroe,” he said.

Streeks’ journey to Monroe began long before he stepped onto campus. After moving from Barbados to New York at age nine, he developed an early interest in technology, earning his first IT certification at just 16. Even before college, he sought out hands-on experience.

“I called up computer shops and asked, ‘Hey, do you guys need a volunteer?’ One person said yes and took me under his wing,” he said.

Supported by a scholarship and acceptance into the Honors Program, Streeks had already built a strong technical foundation by the time he enrolled at Monroe. His willingness to push through challenges, however, is what set his experience apart.

Commuting from Brooklyn to New Rochelle -- and later from New Jersey -- meant long days and difficult choices.

“Distance is meant to be traveled. We have to travel to get where we want to go,” Streeks said.

At Monroe, Streeks didn’t just study -- he applied what he learned in real time. While still a student, he secured a job managing IT for a company in New York, balancing coursework with professional responsibilities.

“My days became going to class, then going to work, and then applying what I learned in class on the job,” he said.

He credits faculty mentors and the Honors Program with shaping his confidence and capabilities.

“The work that I completed at Monroe made everything else in life so much easier to navigate,” he said.

After graduating, Streeks continued working in IT, eventually transitioning to his current role at New York University. Along the way, he launched his own consulting company, a venture he hopes will one day become his primary focus.

For students, especially those from Barbados, Streeks offers one piece of advice: “Be bold, be brave, and blaze a trail where none existed before.”

Today, Christopher Streeks is doing exactly that -- blazing a trail not just for himself, but for future students from Barbados and beyond.