Our True Face: A reflection on my college career

I would always hear that you change and mature a lot once you go to college. I never quite believed it. I could not wrap my head around the idea of changing so drastically in three years — until it happened to me. Just like that, the years went by before my eyes quicker than I would have liked. 

Unfortunately, my time in college was cut short. This was due to my early graduation date and the coronavirus. However, that does not take away from the fact that I have grown so much since I came to college. 

 When I arrived at Boston University, I was rather sheltered. I grew up in a privileged bubble, unable to understand problems aside from where my friends and I were going to have dinner that Friday. 

BU exposed me to different ways of life. I have become friends with people who have catalyzed my growth and have become extremely influential in my life. I thank them for bearing with me during my freshman year of immaturity, listening to my endless rants, wine nights and being the most amazing and supportive friends I could ever ask for. 

In college, my friends became my family.  I am so proud of the family I have chosen, and will continue to cherish them for a lifetime. Unfortunately, I was unable to hug every single one of them tightly the last time I saw them, but I know it is just a matter of time before we see each other again. 

I am able to finally be my truest self — the raw, unfiltered version. I owe that to college. I am able to be an activist and to participate in everything that I love. To explore new ventures, and try new things 15-year-old me would never have dared. I became a part of clubs where I met amazing and inspiring people. 

Yes, I experienced some lows, too. Getting my heart broken, crying over a super hard assignment, experiencing failure on projects, sending a text I definitely should not have. Regardless, I learned from all of them. 

The professors at BU have exceeded my expectations. Many of them have become role models for me. I enter the lecture looking at them in awe, eager to absorb whatever they throw at me next. I can safely say that I do want to be like them.

I was able to find my passion and truly fall in love with both journalism and international relations. I had no clue the type of journalist I wanted to be, my writing style or even my voice. I found that at BU. And I had no clue what area of international relations I was interested in, until I finally discovered my passion in sustainable development. 

I discovered the rush that it is to be a journalist. It was an opportunity to get my feet wet in the field. In a way, I can say that I am already a journalist without having graduated college. 

I earned field experience, citing, researching, photography, interviews — an endless amount of skills that will be implemented once I become a full time journalist in the near future. I understood that my voice had value and saw the importance in honest journalism. 

I have done investigative writing in areas that are my passion. It was an amazing opportunity to simultaneously learn and create content about issues I care deeply about. It was amazing that it all started with a simple thought, and it became reality. I never thought that my work would see the light of day; The Daily Free Press and other news outlets allowed that to happen. 

My goal was to shed light on those issues, and although I wish I could have covered all of them, I hope that I did them justice. They were challenging topics to tackle. I had to carefully navigate the subjects, making sure I was not telling a story that wasn’t mine to tell. I am glad I was allowed to be an advocate for others who do not have the opportunity to speak up. I will continue to do so in my professional career. 

BU, thank you for everything you have given me and for making me the best version of myself yet.