What I’m about to say next may appall you: I can relate to the white woman in the essay by June Jordan. Yeah, the one who calls Jordan “lucky” for being black and having something to work to, unlike herself, not believing that she was “a person”. I admit, now that I’ve seen and had firsthand experience of friends who have been in tough situations that I don’t share the same exact viewpoint as the woman but  I was kind of scared to admit it during class in fear of being judged by people I barley know and will be spending another 4 years with.

In the summer of 2012, I was given the great opportunity to go abroad. It was during this time that I discovered my role as a global citizen and the value in the small attitudes of an individual. Through the program "Amigos de las Americas," I went to the beautiful lands of Paraguay. With hills so steep, forest areas so vast, and lands so rocky, it did not seem that one would find themselves there but that they would lose themselves. And maybe I did, maybe I lost a part of me. Maybe I lost a darker side of myself that I had not realized existed before so that the light I found in others could shine in me.

Hey everyone,

A while back I came across this spoken word video and the reading reminded me of it -- thought I'd share. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-2UnriOjVE

           I began as apart of someone else, an idea. My identities were handed to me in a selection. I only had a deceptively large range of choices. Where I am from was decided. Privilege was assumed, not questioned. With that came my color, my access to education, what I could buy, not worrying about money. These were labels that I quickly enveloped myself in, not wandering if I had taken them on. They were simply presented to me.

Hey! Everyone! I’m Wenjun, from Shanghai, China, but I prefer people call me Marjorie (which name makes me sound more like American) I have studied at a highschool in Manchester, Vermont, for three years, so I do know a little about American culture and humor (hopefully?!). My picture is of my beloved high school, Burr and Burton Academy. As you can see, Vermont snows a lot, but winter is its prettiest season in the year. I would say BBA form who I am now. Because of the three-year experience in the States, I am not that baby who waits mommy to protect under her shield; I am not that baby who shut herself in the room for entire night; I am not that baby who is shy and afraid of talking in front of the public. I become more independent, more outgoing, more courageous.

I'm writing on behalf of group 3 (also known as "The Grand Canyon"). We selected the name based on a commonality we all saw in how we moved through the world – "becoming more so." The phrase came from one of our group members, who explained that "becoming more so" was how he and his family described people whose personality traits grew stronger as they aged. As we thought more about this idea of strengthening personality and strengthening identity, we reflected on our own paths to social work and to the 360. Each of us spoke to different choices and experiences pointing us towards this point in our lives now.

Hi, my name is Hadiyyah, but many people call me Dee. I am from Newark,NJ but for the past couple of years I have been living in Pa. I went to boarding school in New Hope,Pa and a few years before I enrolled in my boarding highschool, my dad moved to pa and after about my sophomore year I decided to reside with him. Choosing my avatar wasn't too hard. I immediately knew that I wanted this picture with my two best friends by my side to be my avatar because I am the person who I am today and have overcome all of obstacles that I have faced in my life thanks to them. I truly believe that if I didn't have these two by my side, while going through school, I wouldn't be as confident in myself and as sure of my capabilities as I am today.