In the spring of 2012, I was informed that we were going to move. As a thirteen going on fourteen year old, the news was rather jarring. I was born and raised in that house, in that town, it was all I knew. We packed up our belongings and began the 678 mile journey to our new “home.” Moving from Hartland, Michigan to Durham, North Carolina was not only immense in distance, but in way of life.
….Today, April 9th, 1865, the Civil War came to an end. With the victory of the Union, us African Americans can be free. I’m not from the South. However, living in Philadelphia isn’t any better. I am a literal black sheep of the world, everyone lives in.
Being an out-of-state transfer student, I understand the feeling of being alone on an empty college campus. My freshman year of college I couldn’t afford to go home during Thanksgiving break and spent four days alone and somewhat depressed. The residential and thematic communities that I chose often have students who stay on campus because of inability to go home or other circumstances that prohibit them from being around close family and friends. Being able to connect with residents who are going through those tough times is crucial. With my open demeanor, I’ll be the person to allow my residents to hangout with me in the lounge, on-campus, create events so they can become involved, and be the friend and RA that they need.
It was an ordinary day of lecture in my Anatomy class when all of a sudden I get a slip notifying me to visit one of the counselor’s offices at my school. I was for one, extremely happy to be able to give my wrist a break from all the writing, but I was even more ecstatic once I found out why I was being excused. The counselor that called me down was reaching out to an abundance of African American, female students, to inform them about the Sistah’s Rock Reaching for the Future Scholarship. I was overcome with joy because she truly wanted to see us excel, and took time out of her busy schedule to speak with us. I am currently in my Senior year of high school and have plans to attend the University of California, Santa Cruz in the fall.
As a dedicated student, dismissal from Kaplan University has been an eye-opener. While I blame no one other than myself, it has been the hardest year of my life. My education has been hindered this last term due to a family illness. I failed to acknowledge the importance of my studies and allowed the sickness of my grandfather, my caregiver, to effect me. My grandfather moved in with me from Arizona to be closer to Sloan Kettering Hospital after being diagnosed with Lymphoma.
The authors do not reveal their social locations. The grad students example of systemic racism and her challenge of addressing it to a social work professor and fellow minority student emphasizes their point of AOP being preached rather than practiced, exemplifying the rift between theory and practice. This continues a culture of silence and complacency. Students need to be challenged to translate theories into their practice. (Sinclair & Albert, 2008).
Chester County, Pennsylvania’s public education system afforded me the opportunity for an enriched academic experience, as well as an opportunity to connect socially with people of all different races. Coming from a family who pushed academics, I always found myself to be one, of three black students in my honors and AP classes. I believed I could not relate with the majority of black students socially and academically, which is why I separated myself from them. In the rise of my freshman year I joined the Black Student Union (BSU) hoping to learn more about black culture and acquire new relationships with my black peers. Fortunately, the mission of the BSU was to create awareness about black culture, in hopes to diminish prejudice not only in the school but also in the community.
Delgado and Stefancic (2011) stated that Critical Race Theory explores how “race, racism, and power intersect to create different circumstances for people of color within society [...] and in postsecondary institutions” (as cited in Quaye, 2013, p. 172). Within the field of higher education, it is important for student affairs professionals to recognize how race permeates all aspects of an individual’s life to fully understand their students’ experiences. Unlike other student development theories, such as Baxter-Magolda’s (2008) self-authorship and Abes, Jones, and McEwen’s (2007) Model of Multiple Identities, CRT places race at the “center of the analysis and assumes that race is omnipresent” in an individual’s life (Quaye, 2013, p. 167).
As a Resident Advisor, I am committed to advocate diversity and inclusion in the dorm. I organized both planned programs like inclusive language campaign in the hall and passive programs like social justice- themed bulletin board to enhance residents’ awareness on social identities issues. Carefully observing the interactions among the residents, I have addressed and resolved conflicts raised due to race, ethnicity and gender issues through active communication.
They claim, “...students of color are showing that they feel disconnected from their respective schools, that implicit yet institutionalized racism creates emotional distance between them and their white peers and faculty. Being a black student on a predominantly white campus certainly, doesn’t guarantee that the student will develop mental-health issues. However, various studies suggest that perceived or actual discrimination can make it hard for students of color to engage with their campus in the way that their white peers do.” This explains how students sometimes feel like they don’t get enough support from their universities and this is dangerous because it can lead that student to drop out of school.
Finding motivation to attend college is easy, keeping the motivation to finish is the difficult part. I decided to enroll in college to earn my Bachelor’s degree in Business with a concentration in Finance. I hope that the degree will give me the opportunity to apply for a better position within the organization that I currently work for. A secondary goal of returning to school is to demonstrate to my son that attending college is required for many jobs and that returning to school as an adult has various difficult challenges. I have been working for the past nine years as an Assistant Financial Officer and am highly competent at my job.
My whole life I have struggled with the concept of home and never quite found anywhere for myself to settle. When I was in the fourth grade, my parents separated, and the I’ve had to juggle my school supplies and toiletries between houses ever since. As a senior in high school, I came out to my parents, and when they rejected me, basketball became a home for me. When my season ended, my newfound basketball family drifted apart. So, it is now, sitting in my dimly lit dorm, on my metal-framed, twin XL bed that I realize that Coral Gables is also not my home.
The author cites the example of the case took place in 1982 when a black student was not allowed to join this sorority. To emphasize the point, Dillon uses many quotations from students and former community members. The author uses compassion of audience by creation
When I entered third grade I felt some discrimination due to my race since you know how kids are not knowing any better so I didn’t particularly feel good there, this continued on till 6th grade where once in middle school I stayed in the library this was not particularly a good idea for my social skills, I didn’t open up till 7th grade where I joined the school’s choir however it was a bit odd considering since I was still in a emo phase honestly it seems ridiculous as of now, I stayed there till December of 2015 where I moved to the dreaded state of South Carolina, much different from the more liberal area of prior residence. When I came South Carolina I at first attended Macedonia middle school where in which my grades were hurt due to the different curriculums, I never fully adapted to the school, but neither did I have to spend more time at the school because thankfully I was able to transfer to Berkeley Middle in which I stayed for the rest of year, although the graduation was less than luck luster where in comparison to my prior middle school in california where in which students were adorned with a proper ceremony as well as gowns to walk in, which far outshone the simple shake of the hand and walking across
The very actions of writing and submitting this essay point to the same soon-to-be reality: I will be leaving my environment. Needless to say, I do not own this environment, not the breathtaking sunsets of my home state, Iowa, nor the Christian standards to embody. It is not mine, but it was the primary factor in the formulation of my identity. Every aspect of my environment, from its physical location to my role models in school, has shaped me as a person. But like most other college applicants, soon I will be leaving my safe, comfortable fort of an environment.
