“The chair you are sitting on is the same sort you will be sitting on when you graduate from Ohio State University (OSU). We’ll all be there too, cheering you on.” I remember when Keith Lofton said this during my interview for The Young Scholars Program (YSP). I was in the sixth grade and my mami was right next to me listening to him explain the program. I didn’t then realize the importance of this interview.
Being in YSP meant attending meetings after an already long school week, getting extra homework, and associating with people I didn’t know. Eventually, though, I began to understand how significant this program is. YSP gave me the opportunity to build lifelong friendships with other scholars and provided a support system that has been my backbone since sixth grade. As scholars from the nine largest urban school districts in the state of Ohio, we were expected to maintain a B average throughout middle and high school and upon graduation we would receive a scholarship to attend Ohio State University. Being a part of this program is truly a blessing for my family and me. Without the help of Mr. Lofton (I’m old enough to call him Keith now) and all of the amazing people I’ve met through the program, I do not know who I would be today.
Since attending OSU had been a goal since sixth grade, when I received my acceptance letter I couldn’t help but think, “It’s about time.” I packed everything imaginable, especially things that would remind me of home—the Aventura CD my mom played every Sunday as she cleaned the house, pictures of my family, and of course the “proper” seasonings for food: adobo, sazón, and sofrito. When it was time to leave for OSU I remember looking around my neighborhood and thinking about how much I would miss it. I was right.
As I set foot on campus for the first time, something hit me full force. These individuals were different from me. I wanted to leave, return to my comfort zone full of Puerto Rican food and Spanish music. I remember meeting my roommates and feeling as though I could never fit in. My high school had been predominately Black and Hispanic so being a “minority” was never a concern. But now I felt like the spotlight was on me because I was different. Those early conversations with my roommates make me laugh now, but at the time I felt isolated, as though my new friends only excused my behavior because I was a “ghetto Puerto Rican” from Cleveland. Once, I was introduced to a friend of theirs from back home and when I made a comment they both laughed as my suitemate explained, “Please excuse her, she’s urban.” They thought less of me for reasons I didn’t fully understand. They questioned my nameplate jewelry, the Fabuloso I used to clean the floor, and the “accent” I didn’t even know I had. Eventually I was able to teach them about my culture and where I came from. They learned about how close I am to my family and they began to understand where my independent and goal oriented nature came from.
Throughout the last two years of my college career, I have been actively involved in raising Hispanic awareness across campus. My friends and I have even started an organization called Mujeres Unidas in an attempt to bring the first Latina based sorority to Ohio State’s campus. I am honored to represent my culture as a strong, independent, Puerto Rican woman.
I am excited to take my knowledge of overcoming adversities to my future students, making them proud of the people they are while helping them become the people they want to be.
