It’s okay to stand out: Meet Noelia
Noelia Bautista attends one of the best colleges in New York and she doesn't have to travel very far to it. Imagine being one bus stop away from your university. Noelia attends Fordham University and is majoring in economics with a minor in latin american studies and latino studies. Sheś a class of 2017 graduate and valedictorian. Her fondest memories while in HUM2 were all the events created for her cohort in an effort to create a tight knit bond. Most of the time high school students are distant and usually form cliques that causes separation amongst the scholars. She was also apart of the volleyball team, which always gave her something to look forward to afterschool. Fordham University is located in one of the busiest neighborhoods in the Bronx, yet Noelia feels as if sheś in a different city when she steps foot on campus. She hardly sees anyone who looks like her, and finds it difficult to relate to most students. Itś pretty ironic beng that the Fordham neighborhood is filled with majority of African Americans and Hispanics. It goes to show the social and economic differences within this prestigious university. Noelia found it quite hard to assimilate initially, but quickly found comfort in herself and connected with others as time passed by. She urges students not to feel discouraged when applying to reputable and notable schools. It's easy for students of color to feel as if they're not good enough to attend these schools and financial reasons also scares them off. Noelia doesn't want fear to stop our students reaching their full potential. She wants them to keep applying and attending these outstanding schools and make a difference. Being in HUM2 taught her how to persevere and move ahead. Every student had different attitudes towards school and education, and the teachers pushed her to be for school. When it came to her thoughts on Rigor, Respect and Responsibility, she connected with rigor the most. ̈Out of Rigor, Respect, and Responsibility, rigor is the term that stuck with me. It was a term that I had never heard before, so I didn't understand it. But at HUM2 I learned that in being rigorous, I would be able to think deeply about my choices and my assumptions. I would be able to acquire skills I never had in terms of my education and my career goals.¨