12/18 first semester: things I've learned

Eight months ago, I sat in this exact area in this exact airport, feeling the exact same things I feel now. I had just finished Brown's Admitted Students' program, A Day on College Hill (ADOCH), and I was so happy. I was so happy to have gotten to know such a beautiful campus and meet such beautiful people. As I reflected back on my three days at Brown, I knew that this special place was where I wanted to be for the next four years.
As I sit here today, waiting to go home (or should I say "visit?"), I feel the same things...and a lot more. I am so freaking happy to have chosen Brown. I've met the coolest people with the most interesting lives, and I've learned so much—about the world and myself.
Looking back on my first semester of college and full-time independence, I wouldn't change a thing. I'm proud of the decisions I've made because I've met really great people along the way. Furthermore, I've learned so much about myself. That I have a pretty awesome mentality that everything will be okay. That I am resilient because of that mentality. That I have the greatest support system ever. That I am exceptionally persistent, sometimes to a fault. And, that I, as a student and person, matter to the world.
Speaking of the world, while at Brown, I've also learned a few things about it. That racism and pure hate continue to exist in the world today, making it an uglier place for people of color. That humanitarianism can sometimes perpetuate the unfortunate system of poverty. That urban youth are not being given the proper educations they need to be given to break the cycle. That cancer, although deadly and disheartening, is a really freaking cool and smart disease. And, above all, that there are people who exist and care enough about these things to do something about them—to want to work to change the systems and, ultimately, make the world a better place.
With all of these things in mind, I want to cue you in on something: Brown is not the greatest institution in the world. The university has some flaws—the greatest of them being that it continues to perpetuate the problems and ideas of white supremacy and elitism. BUT, I am grateful that it is trying to fix that flaw—that it is working with students to better the campus for students of color. I am even more grateful to be surrounded by an amazingly beautiful and intelligent student body that realizes this flaw and actively fights to eradicate it.
These are the people that I want to be with for the next four years. These are the people that I want to work with to become a better me. These are the people that I hope to be.