Reflective Essay: My Educational Journey

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I opened the email revealing my acceptance into Northwestern and I immediately began to cry as I ran to share the good news with my parents. Northwestern had been my first choice and dream school. Unfortunately, I did not receive the same excitement from my classmates as I wore my Northwestern t-shirt on College Spirit Day. Being the only student from my high school to be accepted into an elite, private institution commenced rumors on the circumstances of my acceptance. Some claimed that the only reason that I was accepted was because of my race. They ignored my documented academic achievements, demonstrated leadership skills, athletic accomplishments, extensive extracurricular involvement and dedication to serving my community. The doubts that other people placed in me eventually started to make me question my own abilities. During my first year of college, like most students away from home for the first time, I had some fears and doubts. I often found myself feeling slightly inferior to my classmates and undeserving of my spot at Northwestern. Instead of reaching out to other people in my classes, I thought I needed to prove myself and show that I could succeed on my own. Luckily, I had peer mentors that reminded me that it was okay to ask for …show more content…

My hope is that in sharing who I am, I may in some way challenge the way others see people like me. I have realized that in high school I did not completely accept myself for who I was. Instead, I tried to distract people from my race thinking that in some way I would better “fit in”. I have learned to embrace my background and see the ways that I can help other people like myself. By embracing my diversity, I also have the opportunity to educate and change the perspectives of others, just as I hope to learn from the diverse experiences and openness of

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