College has never been real for me. It was almost like an illusion, something that I didn't ever fully understand.

The only thing that I did understand was that I was going to college.

The thing is, we were told about what was expected in college academically. We were surrounded by the names of these colleges we'd never heard of, and then asked to choose one that we could see ourselves at.

But there's still all of these questions I have, about it really feels to go to college.

I have all of these fears, that I  know other seniors feel.

Because my biggest fear is that I will be the only minority—no the only Latina from New York City—on campus.

My whole life I've been surrounded by people who, for the most part, look like me, live in similar neighborhoods as I do, are immersed in the same world and culture that I was born into.

Being around new people, people who aren't going to be from UCHS, or from the South Side of Williamsburg, that scares me.

Are they going to judge me? Am I going to feel out of place, or like shouldn't be there?

Are they going to ask me that dreaded question: What are you?


Am I going to lose myself: my ethnicity, my background, essentially who I am before I've even fully figured out what it all means?

I need to know, no, we all need to know, what it really feels like to go to college. Not this objective crap we've been force fed for years, but real stories, about how it feels to be homesick for the first time, how you figured out who you are on campus, what you liked, if you ever hit rock bottom.


And for all the people who have shared these experiences— Mr. Rosado, Ms. Goda, Mr. Baker, Ms. Scott, Ms. Moreno, Ms. Castro—I thank you.

Your stories are truly an inspiration, for all of us.

Here's to hoping that the truth continues to be shared.