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Hola! I hope you are enjoying your summer and also resting from all the hard work you put into the semester. Today I’ll be writing about the experience of being far away from home while being in college and how it feels to be returning home for the summer. Initially, my freshman year I was […]| I'm First!
No one talks enough about how weird June feels after graduation. You spend four years sprinting toward the finish line, convinced that once you cross it, everything will fall into place. But here I am, diploma earned, stage crossed, inbox cleared, and still waking up some mornings wondering what I’m supposed to be doing. Graduation […]| I'm First!
At the beginning of the summer, I was ready. I had a whole plan mapped out. My Original Plan That was my original plan when I made it back in June, and even when I reviewed it this August. I was researching scholarships, making color-coded spreadsheets, comparing clinics and bar passage rates like it was […]| I'm First!
I graduated this month. Honestly, I keep saying it and still don’t fully believe it. I’m officially a college graduate! I had a double major and graduated as a first-generation, Black, and queer alum of Susquehanna University. I walked the stage, took the photos, and smiled until my cheeks hurt. Underneath it all, I’m still […]| I'm First!
Earlier this month, I stood at a podium in D.C. and told a room full of near-strangers why the Department of Education shouldn’t be erased. It was part of the COE TRiO Future Leaders Summit, during a mock congressional session where I spoke out against a bill that would’ve gutted the support systems that so […]| I'm First!
March always feels like a blur. A tired, overstimulated, emotionally disjointed blur. Midterms showed up fast and hit hard. I’ve been bouncing between assignments, late nights, job apps, and trying to figure out whether I’m just tired, or if I’m on the edge of something deeper. I’m not even fully sure what classes I’ve caught […]| I'm First!
It’s Black History Month, and while the campus flyers are out and the panel invites are rolling in, the truth of the matter is this: I carry this identity every single day, not just in February.| I'm First!
Before starting college, I mainly worked jobs to save money for tuition and books since I knew that college itself would be a financial burden on my family. Luckily, I was able to work closely with my school’s financial aid office to come up with a package that I could pay off for my first year of college. But once I got to college, the other expenses made reality hit fast—and it hit my wallet the hardest. | I'm First!
As an international student, spring break has always felt like one of those things you hear about in movies—but this year, I actually got to live it. And let me just say… it was magical!| I'm First!
The first one is about looking after my mental and physical health. Sometimes in college, you can get so caught up in school work and personal lives that sometimes we forget to take care of ourselves. I myself have done this in the past. However, this year I have made it a goal to start going to the gym and making better decisions about what I eat. I had never gone to the gym before to workout, but I decided to step out of my comfort zone. To be honest, I was very nervous to go to the school ...| I'm First!