Alumnus Pablo Segarra ’09, a former New York City Police Department (NYPD) police officer, lawyer, and now entrepreneur, is living his ultimate dream. From his home in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, Segarra is preparing to host the first-ever Latinx Travel Summit in Miami later this year where he’s bringing Latinx creators and thought leaders working in the fields of travel, technology, digital media, music, and film together. “My hope is that the Latinx Travel Summit, which caps off Hispanic Heritage Month, helps shine a light on Latinx voices and Latinx stories that are so often ignored,” he says, explaining that his desire to amplify the underrepresented came out of his work in public service for the City of New York. “I always dreamt of helping out the community, especially underrepresented communities,” says the alumnus who is of Puerto Rican descent. “I was able to do that throughout my career in very different ways. First as a cop in the NYPD, then as a lawyer, and finally by working on the planning committee for SOMOS, the largest Latinx conference in New York City. Now, through my work with my nonprofit Nexus Latinx and my business venture Latinx Travel Club, I see myself serving the public in a unique way by pushing our culture forward. For me, it’s always been about taking care and uplifting others, facilitating connections, and setting the next generation up for success.”

Finding his Path
Looking back at his life, Segarra credits his innovative spirit and drive to succeed to his mother. “When I think about the people I grew up with in the Bronx, I realize a lot of them are either in jail, on drugs, or dead now. I never fell into that because of powerful positive forces in my life, like my mom,” he shares, calling her his guiding light. “I grew up watching her work nonstop as she rose up the ranks in public service, most notably in the New York City Board of Education [now the Department of Education].” Seeing his mom helping the community instilled a similar desire in Segarra, who knew he wanted a career that would further the public good. “I wanted to get a government job where I was able to help people, and I started down that road with the NYPD, patrolling the neighborhood of Washington Heights.”

It was his full-time work with the NYPD that put him on the path to John Jay College. “In the police academy and within the department, everyone talked about this one CUNY college that was really welcoming and helpful to cops. That college was John Jay. It’s where you can take your genuine goodness and desire to assist others and learn how to apply it in the field,” he says, adding his John Jay experience also provided him with a supportive environment where he made lifelong friendships—one of his best friends is John Jay alumnus and former New York State Assembly Member Marcos Crespo ’03—and gained first-hand insight from faculty. “What I really loved about my time at John Jay was my conversations with the professors. These were people who had truly lived the public service experience. I remember one class I took was taught by the Chief of Police for Paterson, New Jersey. Another class I had was taught by an NYPD detective. They were bringing their real-life experiences and knowledge into the classroom and that was really affirming for me as a cop working full time. I felt like I could talk to them and go to them for advice, not just about academic issues but life issues too, and that had such a good impact on my life. It made me a better cop and the lessons I learned in the classroom I still use to this day.”

Changing Career Paths
At the halfway point of his 13-year NYPD career, a devastating car accident would change the course of Segarra’s life. “I went headfirst through the windshield and suffered multiple injuries, a concussion, and had severe nerve damage. I was never really the same after that,” he explains. The nerve damage, specifically to his legs, would make the physical part of his job as a police officer increasingly difficult. “Anytime we had to chase or apprehend someone I would end up in the hospital. It got to a point where I realized my body was telling me I couldn’t physically do it anymore. So, I made a switch.” Wanting to make good on his commitment of helping people, Segarra decided to go to law school and become a lawyer, and while he was one of the few Latinx members of his class, he didn’t let that discourage him from achieving his goal. “Too many of us don’t take the first step because we’re just scared. Too many of us don’t go to the job interview because we don’t feel we’re going to get it,” says Segarra, believing a leap of faith is necessary when you have goals you want to accomplish. “Don’t be afraid to take the next step because you never know where it’s going to get you.”

He’s proof positive of that philosophy. His work as a lawyer enabled him to help immigrants through the Safe Passage Project, and led directly to his work with SOMOS, where he connected with Latinx elected officials—like alumna and New York State Assembly Member Catalina Cruz ’05—Latinx businessmen and women, and Latinx people across the world. The experience enabled Segarra to see the depth of potential in the Latinx community and revealed how disconnected the Latinx diaspora in the U.S. felt from their homelands. “My work with SOMOS led to my co-founding Nexus Latinx. When we launched Nexus Latinx, it was with the goal of being a bridge and connection between the two worlds—the diaspora and the homeland. Through Nexus Latinx we’re connecting these two groups to one another through education, culturally immersive, leadership, and civic engagement opportunities.” It’s via Nexus Latinx that Latinx students can participate in leadership training workshops where they can develop their skills, boost their confidence, and feel empowered to effect change. By traveling to Latin America, they can immerse themselves in their culture and history. And, through the connections they make, they can find mentors and build a support network. “We want to build a program that advances education on the history, traditions, culture, and issues in the Caribbean and Latin America. For our future generations to feel empowered enough to take on the inequities in the world and become leaders across all markets, we need them to be informed and educated. We need to make sure they’re prepared.”

Empowering the Latinx Community
While Nexus Latinx takes care of the education and training for the future Latinx generation, Latinx Travel Club seeks to elevate the presence of the Latinx traveler by sharing their stories and experiences through media and events, like the Latinx Travel Summit. “The Latinx Travel Club was created to display the beauty, power, and diversity of the Latinx traveler, which is currently not being tapped into by the travel industry,” explains Segarra, pointing to the demographic’s strength. “On average we spend more money on trips, we travel longer than any other demographic, and we travel in larger groups. We’re also among the youngest and most diverse traveler demographic in the entire western hemisphere. There is power in our numbers.”

But Segarra doesn’t plan to stop there. His next project, X1492, will give Latinx people the opportunity to redefine themselves through the digital media space. “Since 1492 Latinx people have been defined by others. But we’re now in a position where we can define who we are,” says Segarra, envisioning X1492 as a company that promotes representation across all spaces. “When you look at history, Latinx people influence everything from sports to music, fashion to politics, yet there are no films on Roberto Clemente, the Haitian Revolution, or the Fania All-Stars. My goal, through all these different ventures is to be able to bring those stories to light. Our culture and community deserve to be recognized and celebrated because we’re doing amazing things,” he says. “I always say that I don’t do this work for myself, I do it for the next generation. I want them to see positive Latinx role models everywhere they turn, because we’re out there, we just need the platform to show off our talents.”