I
believe that my journey to College Unbound started in late August of
2010. Stepping onto my previous college’s campus for the first time as a
college student, there was a wave of unhappiness and dread that moved
through me and stayed with me throughout the day. I did not know why I
had this feeling; I had visited the campus before and I generally came
away with a neutral vibe.
In retrospect, it all makes perfect sense. Each semester that passed by
at that school I found myself searching for something- grasping at the
words I needed to explain why I felt so empty when folks would ask, “So
why do you hate McDaniel?” Each semester I could articulate more and
more what dissatisfied me about the school. First semester, it was that I
was devastatingly bored, second semester it was that I had no community
that I felt completely comfortable belonging to (although, I did have
art classes, which seemed to make that semester more bearable).
It was only this summer that I realized that I needed a drastic change
in my education. After coming back from my dream-like semester abroad,
it quickly dawned on me that my old reality was approaching, and I
didn’t like what I saw. I hastily came up with an escape plan. I
certainly did not have my plan all worked out, but I was certain that
for my own health’s sake, I could not return to my old school and just
deal with the constant sadness I had previously dealt with. In reaching
out to some of my mentors, they pointed me in the direction of creating a
conversation that could give me some clarity around what I truly needed
in an education.
I was sure that I needed some space to rant. I am the kind of person
who needs to lay everything out in the open before I could pick up the
pieces that most accurately fit what I need. Any meeting or conversation
that I would have about my education had to at least allow me the space
to vent my frustration, and explore my desire. Second, I needed someone
who could present alternative opportunities that would create the best
fit for my wishes. Luckily, I was able to have a conversation that was
exactly that.
In my meeting with my college advisor, I completely laid everything out
on the table. I had been constantly thinking for months about what I
needed as a low-income college student of color who was interested in
things other than business and pre-med. I was aware that my choosing not
to pursue either of these two subjects put me at a disadvantage after
graduation. I was also aware that my interest in the arts was too strong
to not include in my education.
In order to remedy this situation, I wanted to go to a school that
allowed me to gain some real world work experience while learning. I was
prepared to be a commuter student that went to work right after class. I
knew that having a resume full of work experience would put give me
some advantage when I had a degree, as most jobs that I researched
required at least some work experience alongside a diploma.
I knew that I wanted something that could capture most of my interests;
I knew that it would be a fantasy to assume that I could have it all.
In addition to an interest in media production, I knew that I had a love
for painting and drawing, herbs and alternative medicine, non-profit
work, and youth development. In order to be doing work in those fields, I
would work with my home organization, Youth In Action, when I had the
time. After I was done ranting and venting, Simon, my College Visions advisor, who had been listening very intently, laid out some options. One option that he happened to mention, College Unbound, stuck out to me. The more that I thought about it, the more it seemed to fit my needs. It was hard to research the school, since very little information was available online, but I decided to make the leap and transition to the school. So begins the start of a new journey.
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