-
Facing fear and isolation in today’s political climate
•
I have an incredibly vivid memory of crying in my room the night that Donald Trump was elected as president last year. As someone who had recently accepted their queer identity and begun to accept their gender identity, seeing the voting map slowly turn more and more red was so incredibly disheartening and gut-wrenching.…
-
STEM is not the only equation for success
•
Throughout the majority of my life and academic career, one subject has always haunted me. I’ve suffered from nightmares, many tears shed and all nighters pulled because of the one thing I cannot seem to understand: math. As I progressed through high school, and my math classes only got harder, I noticed myself internalizing…
-
Identity isn’t just black and white
•
The straightener on my countertop bears a painful reminder of my past. The cord is worn and frayed, the metal clamp overworked from years of hard work. I have spent years trying to smooth over the roughs, every pass over my hair inadvertently reminding me that most of my effort was spent trying to…
-
How to win the war with yourself
•
Everyone is fighting a silent battle, whether they realize it or not. A gory, bloody, merciless battle with their greatest opponent: themself. When I was a little girl, I had a recurring dream: a twisted, demented, recurring dream. My slumber revealed to me my truest and most vulnerable wish. I wanted to completely change…
-
The guilt of choosing where to go
•
I cannot remember the last time someone brought up Ohio without a punchline trailing behind it. Despite the stigma around the state on social media, I am drawn to Ohio because I have family out there and it would be nice to be able to see my cousins more than maybe once a year.…
-
My future isn’t defined by a campus name
•
“She probably didn’t get in anywhere else, that’s why she chose community college.” This was the whisper I imagined behind every glance, every nod, every conversation that trailed off when I spoke my choice aloud. Growing up, I always poured all of my heart into my education. I’d tuck myself away in my room…
-
Navigate religion for yourself, not the people around you
•
Since I was born, I’ve been getting up every Sunday to go to church. And every Sunday since my parents were born, they’ve been attending church with their parents. It always felt so normal, a part of my routine and nothing that felt uncustomary. Up until eighth grade, I also attended a private Christian…
-
I am plagued by an irrational fear of death
•
For as long as I can remember, the lingering fear of death has consumed my every waking moment. Uncertainty of what happens after death and feeling as if I have no control has tormented me my whole life. Anxiety surrounding death prevents me from sleeping at night, as each time I close my eyes,…
-
Dark humor fails to excuse racism
•
I have often been labeled as “too sensitive” to the jokes my peers make, so I tend to keep my mouth shut when I am frustrated with what they have to say. But when an acquaintance looked me dead in the eye to tell me that he hates Black people, then paused and giggled…
-
Family traditions keep memories alive
•
My childhood was full of magical traditions filled with family and joy. Recently, I turned 17-years-old, and I realized just how much of my childhood has passed me by. So many of my old traditions have now turned into beloved memories of the past. So much of what I looked forward to as a…