Community-Based Learning Blog

When I first agreed to join the Non-Profit Careers Conference, I was unsure of what to expect. Of course I knew there would be panels, speakers, and it would revolve around non-profit organizations in Worcester, however, I had never attended a week-long conference that I, at first, believed was straying away from future career goals. Now having come out of the conference I want to share my passion for non-profit organizations with others while still being pre-med, but I’m getting a bit ahead of myself, let me start from the beginning. 

The first day of the conference my stomach was turning as I walked down the steps of ‘Science’ (science building) toward Smith Laboratories. I had been so used to entering Smith Laboratories ready for Chemistry classes, yet I was greeted with kind smiles by CBL Interns, Mattie, and Isabelle. It felt a bit as though two of my different worlds (academics and CBL) had collided. Although I am a returning CBL Intern, I am still trying to pave the way for two of my passions, medicine and CBL (community building, immersing in community, working for and with others, etc). I want to mash these two passions together and create a vocation out of it. Although I am a Biology major with a LALC concentration on the pre-med track, it can be hard talking to other students majoring in the STEM field and even pre-med students about the importance of CBL. I want so hard for them to understand what it means to be immersed in the Worcester community. I want them to see how important it is to work with non-profit organizations to better understand how they themselves can go out into the world ready not only for themselves, but others too. I understand that better now thanks to the CBL Intern Program, but I am still learning. 

During the NPCC, there were sessions students could choose from to attend. I attended Lynn Lancaster’s (HC Alumni ‘86) session about Grant Proposal Writing. I went into the session thinking I would simply learn about how to write proposals in order to receive grants. I was very wrong and actually learned about Lynn’s road to her current job. There are so many twists and turns in life that it is important to remember that change can be good. One just has to be open to it. It was during this talk that I realized how glued to one single path I had been this whole time. It is definitely possible to do non-profit work and go into medicine. I just need to be open to change. I realized how important both my CBL and science experiences are. I began to really think that day about how intersected both fields could be. On one hand, I was to be a provider of health, but yet I could still do non-profit work by helping in clinics doing behind the scene work. 

As I began working with my team on our designated non-profit, Girls Inc., I began to also think about my identity. I thought about other women of color in the field and what it means to be in STEM as a woman of color. I began to reflect on experiences I had as a young girl. I grew up a daughter of Mexican immigrants in a low-income community. I’m now at a predominately white institution in a predominately white field. Imposter syndrome is almost impossible to ignore, yet CBL and the NPCC conference reminded me what a gift it is to grow up understanding first hand what it is like growing up as a woman, POC, and low-income. These intersecting parts of my identity are what are now able to help me pursue my two passions. The NPCC and Girls Inc.’s mission were a wake up call for myself and for what the future holds. 

Going forward, I am not pressuring myself to stick to one single path, but instead to be open to multiple and allow my experiences to guide me. Currently, I am working with young 2nd grade and kindergarten students at Girls Inc.. Seeing these young girls reminds me of after school programs my parents would place me in and I find such joy working with these young scholars to prepare for future chapters in their lives. I can’t wait to continue working with Girls Inc. this semester (as well as my senior year) and be a part of more CBL reflections to help me discover more about myself and what I want to do with my life.

As my fall semester of senior year comes to a close, I feel grateful to look back on so many special memories made possible by community involvement. Each year, my activities both on and off campus have enabled me to grow immensely, and this fall was no exception. As a senior, I stepped into new leadership opportunities and helped direct exciting events. I joined new clubs, reconnected with peers and faculty, and made new friends and connections. Out of all these wonderful experiences, my involvement in the CBL Intern Program once again stands as a highlight to my fall semester, allowing me to learn, connect with others, and grow personally.

Having joined the CBL Intern Program last year, I was so excited to continue my involvement as a returning intern. The CBL intern community has provided me with wonderful friends as well as chances to learn and get out of my comfort zone. I loved visiting my community partner, actively promoting community-based learning, and discussing all that we had learned in our intern meetings. I also had the chance to direct reflections and write for the J.D. Power Center Newsletter. All of these opportunities centered around community pushed me to think deeper about society, its structures, and our role within them. After nearly a year of remote learning and feeling all too comfortable with what was “known” to me, I was very thankful for the new experiences the CBL Intern Program gave me.

One of my favorite aspects of this program is that each intern is given a specific leadership role. This year, I have been serving as one of the meeting coordinators. Meeting coordinators work together to plan and co-facilitate intern meetings with the director and assistant director of the Donelan Office. So far, I have really enjoyed stepping into this new role. It’s been such a pleasure working with my fellow meeting coordinator, Fernanda, as well as Mattie and Isabelle to create relevant activities for our interns. Our activities are most often team-bonding and reflection based, but I really appreciate the flexibility that can go into this aspect of our meetings. With the next semester approaching, I’m really looking forward to seeing what new activities Fernanda and I can bring to our future meetings.

Finally, this semester I also had the opportunity to engage with a new community partner. Every Thursday morning, I visited Whitcomb Middle School in Marlborough to assist students in the Latin language program. Through crafts, games, and discussion, I worked with my group of students to learn more about Greek mythology and the ancient world. Our activities were centered on the stories of Hercules and the twelve labors—each week we learned about a couple of the tasks this hero was assigned, whether it was fighting monsters, capturing animals, or stealing treasured items from gods. Visiting this CBL placement site was always very exciting to me. Over the summer, I had worked with Prof. Machado of the Classics department to develop parts of this program. Seeing activities I had helped design come to life was really rewarding. Further, as a Classics major, I loved teaching something I was passionate about to other students. It was a wonderful learning experience getting to hear the students’ unique opinions on these ancient myths, many of which helped to guide my thoughts on ancient notions of a hero. Finally, I really enjoyed getting to know my group of students better. Whether it was providing each other with updates from our week, discussing Hercules’ very poor decision making, or designing our final board game, these simple moments in my group made each visit truly meaningful to me.

Life at Holy Cross is busy. This semester especially, I’ve noticed that people’s schedules are crazier than ever. Successfully planning something with others is becoming an accomplishment, and having time to yourself is becoming rare. Seeing the campus revert back to normal after the COVID-19 pandemic has been exciting. However, the stress that process has brought on students is extremely taxing, and, dare I say, “unprecedented.”

As a CBL Intern, I was worried about the impact that this unexpected stress would have on students going to their CBL sites (myself included). Having what seems like a million things to do is distracting. This kind of distraction seemed like it would take away from students’ experiences at their sites, and their desire to connect with others. 

At the beginning of October, I helped facilitate a reflection session in a Montserrat seminar. As I prepared myself for this session, my fears about students and CBL were heightened. At that point, most of the students had started going to their respective sites, and I was so worried about what they would say. However, the second I sat down, I was pleasantly surprised. I barely had time to introduce myself before students started telling me what site they were going to, who they met there, and what had happened. Whereas most conversations I had on campus always seemed like everyone was just trying to get to the next place they had to go, this one was different. Everyone was engaged. Everyone was fully present. Most importantly, it seemed like everyone was truly passionate about what they were doing.

After four years here at Holy Cross, I never realized the real power of connecting with one’s community until that day. This semester has been hectic for everyone. However, instead of adding to that stress, it became clear to me that our community is one of the few things that can relieve it. Forming connections with others, reflecting, and learning about oneself is something that it seems like no one has time for anymore. However, being present in the community gives people the opportunity to do exactly that.

Almost four years later, I have yet to believe my college experience is coming to an end. As I was thinking about what I should write, I realized that my time as a CBL intern is also falling short. This would mean that I have a single blog post left to write. It’s crazy how time flies, isn’t it? I know it sounds cliche, but it truly amazes me. I recall who I used to be during my first year, and sometimes, I have difficulty recognizing my old self. Some might say that’s also crazy, but I firmly believe college is about ongoing change and figuring out who we are. Multiple experiences have driven my personal growth throughout my time at Holy Cross. My time as an intern and working alongside the Donelan Office have influenced me since my first year in Worcester. Because of that, I would like to reflect on my time with the CBL office.

During my first year, I had the opportunity to volunteer at the Marie Anne Center as a part of my “Social Ethics” class. It served the primary purpose of CBL; I could apply the concepts I learned in class to real-life situations. However, I discovered more about myself there than anywhere else, so I joined CBL. My role as an English tutor truly shifted my perspective on life and helped me understand the need to remove presumptions. I assumed I would meet
Spanish-speaking students, but most spoke Portuguese. I was outside of my comfort zone for the semester but learned so much from each of them. Due to my lack of Portuguese, I was always nervous about not giving my best self. But even then, each of them welcomed me with a smile. Until this day, I cherish the Brazilian woman who invited me to share dinner because she had passed her citizenship exam. They taught me the importance of gratitude. Amid my discomfort, I felt at home with all of them.

After that year, I knew I wanted to continue working with the CBL office, so I became an Intern. I volunteered with the Worcester Public Schools Transition Program during my junior year. I met some of the most remarkable and determined people who also taught me many lessons about life and myself. They showed me how finding joy and appreciation in everything could change how we view life. Lastly, this year I am an Ignite Fellow tutoring third graders. I
work with them online since they are in Texas. Like all my other experiences, I have learned to work with my students individually, not as a homogenous group. They show me that we all have different needs, but even then, the least we can do every day is treat others with kindness and never forget about a smile.

Following my three volunteering experiences, I reflect on my old self during the first year. I have learned so much about others, and I have learned about myself through them. As my CBL experience begins to wrap up, I am forever grateful for the lasting influence it continues to have in my life.

My first year at Holy Cross was tumultuous; not only did I enter college in the midst of a global pandemic, but I grappled with the certain uncertainty that comes with starting college. I constantly questioned whether I was choosing the right academic path, what clubs I would join, and if I would ever feel prepared for life after these next four years. As a junior, I can confidently say that this uncertainty does not go away. Rather, this uncertainty has become a driving force for my personal growth, as I have found that embracing uncertainty has led me to incredible opportunities to learn more about myself and my community. 

I began to develop the notion that discomfort is an opportunity for growth during my first-year CBL experience. Although my experience was confined to my dorm in Hanselman through my computer screen, I faced discomfort. I collaborated with students from Worcester Public Schools Transition Program as well as a Nurse Practitioner student to create educational panels for healthcare professionals on ableism. As an outsider who had never worked on this type of project before, I was hesitant to contribute to conversations and I feared that I was not doing enough to help. However, by taking the leap to act and speak despite my worries, I was able to make the most out of my experience. Hearing the experiences of people with disabilities in healthcare helped me perceive others through a more compassionate and informed lens. Through fully immersing myself in new environments, whether that was through my computer screen or at City View School through the CBL Latin Program, I was able to gain insights that informed my perspectives of different groups of people. I am certain that I would not have otherwise had these perspective-changing experiences if I did not take the opportunity to go beyond the minimum requirement of showing up to my CBL site and take risks to form stronger connections. 

Our experience of learning from others as students tends to be a more passive than active process. We have grown accustomed to sitting and listening in lectures, and sometimes we are brave enough to take the leap to ask more. To make the most out of our experiential learning experiences, we must treat learning as an active process that requires constantly challenging our comfort levels and perspectives. We must strive to learn with others by stepping out of our comfort zones. Through my participation in CBL and Spring Break Immersion Program, I have learned that leaning into discomfort, rather than letting it be a debilitating force, has increased my understanding of others and their lived experiences. 

My mantra since my first year, which has continued to be pertinent to my engagement experiences at Holy Cross, is the following quote: “if you want something you have never had, you must be willing to do something you have never done.” Growth lies within the new and uncomfortable. I would encourage everyone who is seeking opportunities for growth to not only lean into discomfort but seek experiences that might completely alter their current beliefs about others and the world.

It is hard to believe that I have only been a CBL intern for around a month now. I am very grateful for the friendships I have built and knowledge I have learned that has so quickly accumulated. When I first applied to the CBL intern program, I knew that I would be joining a community of my peers who share the same passion for engaging with the Worcester community. It was not until I was fully immersed in this community, that I understood the dedication and passion that comes with this engagement. It has been rewarding to hear from the other interns about how passionate they are about volunteering at their CBL sites. For many (including myself!), it is the highlight of each week. I value learning from my peers about their perspectives on social justice issues and their passions to create change in our community. 

Equally important as the relationships I have built in the CBL program, are those that I’ve built through my weekly visits to St. Mary Health Care Center. Every Saturday, I volunteer at the St. Mary Health Care Center, a rehabilitation and skilled nursing facility in downtown Worcester. At St. Mary’s I engage with residents through conversations, games, and other activities. During my first visit to St. Mary’s, I spent my time painting the nails of three residents. Upon entering the room, they told me that they already loved my presence and I eagerly told them it was reciprocated. After I painted their nails, they instantly told me they felt “young and beautiful.” I find it rewarding to know that I can help enrich the lives of others, even if it is something as simple as painting their nails to make them feel confident. Furthermore, I value the connections I have built with community members that have come out of these engagements because they have allowed me to understand diverse perspectives and reflect on my own. I believe that in order to make an impact on your community, you need to understand it first. By immersing myself in the community and being open to diverse perspectives and conversations, I have found that I can better understand my social responsibility and how to help the community better reach its needs. 

Although my experience as a CBL intern has been short, it has been more impactful than I could have ever imagined. I have been able to explore outside of the Holy Cross bubble and thus better understand ways I can better advocate for the community. I am excited to continue deepening my engagement with the Worcester community and gain a deeper understanding from new perspectives.

My Catholic High School had a yearly “community service” requirement: 20 hours, 10 in school, and 10 out of school. Even before this, I’d done “service” in middle school and spent many summers volunteering at a local preschool/summer camp. During these summers, I racked up close to a hundred “volunteer hours.” I remember the satisfaction of coming to school in the fall with a note signed by my boss attesting to this time spent “in the community.” In high school,  the acts that I thought of as service were uncomplicated. I made cards for the Sisters who lived in the convent next door, organized school fundraisers, and ran charity 5ks. Once I had my community service form signed off,  I didn’t give these individual acts another thought. 

During my Sophomore year, I became pretty involved in climate change activism. I went to protests, did lots of research, and fought the administration for eco-friendly changes on campus. It became a part of my personality – I was the vegetarian that got on the loudspeaker every day at lunch to remind girls to recycle and carry their own silverware. But despite the passion I had for this work and the amount of energy I put into it, it did not fit my definition of service. There was nobody to sign off on my community service form, and whether I realized it at the time, this drilled in a message that is so often inculcated into high school students, especially in Catholic institutions: that charity which yields tangible results is more important than advocacy or more abstract kinds of community work. I came to believe that service was only meaningful when you had something to show for it, be it funds raised or that sought-after signature on a service form.

Before applying to college, I assumed that my hundreds of community service hours would make me stand out to the schools of my choice. However, when I began to fill out applications during my senior year, I wound up leaving most of the “service” I had done out. I felt silly listing my time spent giving tours of my high school campus to upper-class Long Island families as service. For the first time, I became disillusioned with the ideas of charity and service that had been presented to me thus far. 

If college applications started my questioning of charity, they also began to affirm in my mind the importance of advocacy. I found that while my “service” didn’t seem important enough to include in applications, my climate change research and activism formed the backbone of each of my college essays, supplements, and interviews. For me, my advocacy work was just as fulfilling, if not more so, than the charity I had been involved in; however, I didn’t at the time have the language of social justice to talk about this with others.  

Flash forward to the fall of 2021, I started CBL with the Worcester Public Schools (WPS) Transition Program for Professor Ryan and Professor Jenkins’ Montserrat, Identity, Diversity, and Community. I immediately fell in love with the program, which seeks to help young adults with intellectual disabilities develop skills for life after high school, and form close friendships with students. Our first CBL reflection in this class was about “Toxic Charity.”  This reflection centers on the idea that often there are unintended consequences of well-meaning charity that arise when the volunteer assumes a position of superiority (whether conscious or not) over those that they are meant to be serving.  Rather than uniting people, this approach to service is divisive and has a tendency to alienate those receiving service.  For the first time, I saw the dissatisfaction I had with my high school notion of service articulated. 

In class, we learned about the Jesuit mission of being a person “with others.” This resonated with me more and more as I participated in the community in ways that didn’t yield the concrete results or satisfying log of service hours that characterized my high school experience. Each week I visited WPS Transition led to new revelations about what it means to serve in the community. I went from leaving my site frustrated that I hadn’t been able to help the students more, to realizing that the best way I could help was by being a peer and a friend, not by being the “helpful volunteer” that I had long strived to be.  In this way, CBL helped me to finally dismantle the toxic charity mindset that had been instilled in me throughout my years of CCD and Catholic education. 

Now, a year after this pivotal lesson,  I’ve been tasked with leading reflections as a CBL intern. I do this task with enthusiasm, as I’ve seen firsthand how transformative conversations about these topics can be. 

I served my first full year as a CBL Intern this past school year. Reflecting on the year, I realized how amazing of an experience it was for me. As a member of the class of 2024, my sophomore year was my first year being fully on campus and in-person at Holy Cross. It was definitely a big adjustment for me because classes were back in person for the first time since my senior year of high school. Clubs, extracurriculars, and CBL sites were starting to gather in-person again. While I did face some challenges adjusting to the world around me returning to somewhat “normal,” I was able to make the most of the situation and learned a lot about myself in the process.

First, I participated in CBL during my spring semester of Freshman year, being  completely on zoom with the Nativity School of Worcester. This past school year, I was lucky enough to be able to return to the Nativity School in-person with the same students that I had tutored on zoom the previous semester. It was an amazing experience getting to meet them in person and work with them to the best of my abilities. Reflecting on this experience, I realized how much these students meant to me as well as that strive I get when being able to make in-person connections with others: noticing how much more I was able to connect with the students I was tutoring while in person and the more I learned about them and myself during our weekly sessions. Additionally, I gained a lot with working with young children, as it requires patience and making genuine connections with them. All in all, I had an unforgettable experience working with the students at the Nativity School of Worcester and learned a lot about the students and myself in the process. 

I enjoyed being a part of the CBL Intern Program this past year for the first time. Not only did it allow me to continue with the program, it also provided me with a great group of friends that I learned a lot from. Being able to listen to the experiences of others allowed me to learn lessons from countless sites despite not having the time to visit each of them on my own. The CBL intern community creates an inclusive environment for others to share their experiences which allowed me to teach others about what I learned from the students at the Nativity School as well. Having the space to allow for these discussions has allowed me to put my time spent in CBL into context in my life. This has been very beneficial for me and has allowed me to grow as a person and as a CBL intern. I also enjoyed being able to meet with other CBL students to give them feedback on their journals and push them to reflect on their experiences. This allowed them to learn more about themselves and brought me great joy knowing that I was able to help someone become a better version of themselves.

In conclusion, I had an amazing experience as an intern this past year and am beyond excited for the year that is to come. I have learned a lot in the past year, I am looking forward to new experiences and to learning more about myself and learning from others.

Being a CBL Intern has changed the course of my life. It sounds dramatic, but as a senior beginning my final year at Holy Cross, I feel that I can finally say that and truly mean it. Through the Donelan Office, my understanding of community service and the world of non-profits has grown significantly. I have participated in three different CBL agencies at this point, and all of these opportunities have allowed me to explore and further realize my passion for working and making connections with others. My time as a CBL intern has influenced my life on and off campus. I made new friendships, learned new skills, and even changed my future career path all thanks to my time as an intern. Looking ahead to my final year participating in CBL, I am happy to say that I am the most excited I have ever been to begin volunteering with my partner. Usually, I am full of nervous energy before my first visit, but for the first time, I will not be stepping into an unfamiliar environment but one that I know fairly well. This summer I interned at the Nativity School of Worcester, and I will spend the year tutoring there for two hours each week. 

The mission of Nativity and the important place it holds in the Worcester community both exemplify why it is an excellent place for students to learn the value of service. The Nativity school model is unlike any other school I had experienced prior to this summer. It is an all-boys, tuition-free, Catholic school that aims to provide students living in low-income areas with a learning environment that enables them to succeed. While at school from 8:00 am to 5:30 pm every day, students are given two meals and offered various snacks throughout the day. While the days are long, it is clear that the school serves as a second home for the students. Teachers and faculty members build incredible bonds with students that go far beyond the classroom. This summer I felt honored to be welcomed into this incredible community. Every member—teachers, students, and faculty—truly care about one another. It is a community characterized by joy and love, and for me, it was the embodiment of the Jesuit values that I have spent the past three years learning about. Human dignity is at the center of Nativity’s mission. Teachers make every effort to help students grow as human beings rather than solely focusing on their academic abilities. I got to spend three weeks in the classroom with the sixth graders, and by the end of my internship, I was shocked at how upset I was to leave behind the relationships I made at Nativity. I could tell the students trusted me and that meant more to me than I ever could have imagined. Rather than scaring me away from teaching, as I thought it would, my experience this summer reassured me that teaching may be the career for me. It is difficult, however, to imagine being a teacher anywhere but Nativity. 

Thankfully, I have the opportunity to return to Nativity as a tutor this semester. One of my favorite aspects of CBL is the fact that participants are encouraged to make connections that go beyond the surface level and that extend past one’s time spent with their partner. Returning to Nativity gives me the chance to continue strengthening the relationships I have already formed. I get to continue showing up for the students I spent the summer with even if it is only for two hours a week. There is one final aspect of my internship at Nativity that contributed to my appreciation of my time there. As I mentioned, Nativity plays an important role in the Worcester community. Nativity students and alumni reside in Worcester, and their family members are business owners, local politicians, and advocates for their community. I had never felt as connected to Worcester as I did during my two months at Nativity. One of the great things about CBL is how it encourages students to leave the hill and experience the city that we call home for eight months out of the year. Through Nativity and learning from the experiences of the students and their families, I finally feel that I am not just a student that attends a school in Worcester. I am a member of the Worcester community as well. I am looking forward to the opportunity to continue building upon the connections I made this summer with the students and the city alike. 

As a young girl, studying abroad in Spain has always been one of my dreams. In Fall 2021, I was finally able to make that dream a reality. While many people emphasize the importance of learning to live on your own when you are abroad, I was able to have both; there were of course times where I was on my own but I also had one of my closest friends from HC with me in Granada as well, Melanie. Having her as a support system during my journey abroad was definitely important because I knew that I was never truly alone.   

Studying abroad certainly changed my mindset on many things. I realized the importance of independence in all aspects. For instance, before traveling abroad, I started my first real job as a server at a restaurant and saved up so that money would not be an issue in Spain. Being able to rely on myself in that way was extremely important for me because it was a burden that my parents did not have to deal with. 

The classes of course were also different from the normal HC classes. There was this sense of openness and lots of discussion rather than the professors lecturing a whole lot. Fortunately, I was able to experience two aspects of the Universidad de Granada. I took 3 classes at the Centro de Lenguas Modernas where all my classes were in Spanish and I took one class at the Facultad de Filosofia y Letras where my class was in English. This allowed me to fully experience both dynamics of classes in Granada. I was intrigued to see how I would feel in each class because while Spanish is my first language, I was not used to having 3 different classes in Spanish. However, I quickly fell in love with all my courses and was astounded at the level of inclusiveness from all of my professors. 

One of the most impactful academic experiences abroad was completing the ICP Project required by Holy Cross. The objective behind the project was immersing myself in the Spanish culture and reflecting on my observations and learnings. I decided to tutor two 6 year old girls, Alejandra and Michaela. For the majority of my time with them, we practiced speaking in English and I taught them new words that they wanted to learn. Being with them was an amazing experience because I was able to see how progressive the Spanish culture really was. Both Alejandra and Michaela were raised with the understanding that they could choose any profession they would like to. For them, their advantage was having parents who were professors at the University. Their parents emphasized the importance of education and it was reflected on the future goals of both girls. Understanding the Spanish culture was important for me because it served as a form of guidance for my course: La Imagen de la Mujer en los Siglos XVIX-XX. Based on my experiences with Alejandra and Michaela, I was able to offer my own perspective on different themes in the Spanish culture and why the image of women in Spain has stayed the same or changed today. Having this experience was important to me because it was like having CBL but abroad. Had it not been for my time as a Community-Based Learning Intern, I would not have been able to connect my observations outside of the classroom to my learning inside the classroom. This was crucial for me because it only made my time abroad even more meaningful. It also allowed me to leave Spain as a changed and improved student and person as a whole. If anything, embracing myself in this new culture only strengthened my ability to adapt to new people and surroundings and certainly aided my service as a first time Intern coordinator with the WPS transition program. 

While I was fascinated in learning more about the Spanish culture and traveling to different places, there was also always a sense of sadness deep in my heart because I knew that I was visiting places that my parents had never seen. Being raised by immigrant parents, I was constantly reminded of the mobility barrier that was present in my family. My father could never visit his family in Guatemala because that would mean him not being able to come back to the US. My mother was also not able to visit Peru for the same reasons. At the core of my study abroad experience was breaking the barriers that society had set for my parents. I understood that me traveling to all these different places was a win for them as well because it meant that their sacrifices were worth it. They both crossed the border to ensure that their future children would have better opportunities in life than they ever did. As I stood by the view from Santa Maria Maior in Lisbon,Portugal, I was reminded of my parents’ journey to the States and the content they must feel to know that their daughter was exploring places they have never been able to.

If I learned one thing from traveling abroad, it’s the importance of staying true to my roots and identity especially when there are others from completely different cultures and backgrounds. If there is anything I learned from CBL it’s the importance of being vulnerable and entering new chapters with an optimistic and open mind set. As I conclude my junior year, my commitment to immerse myself in the Worcester community has only strengthened. It has also inspired my decision to live off campus next year at the Edge Union Station. My hope is that I will be able to get to know the Worcester community at a deeper level.