When We Gather is a photo and written documentary project about friendship and community among a group of 15 senior students of color at GW. This project explores the relationships and community that myself and my friends have built, providing an insider look into the lives and friendships of these students. Using group portrait photography, profile stories on subjects, and short prose writings on friendship and gathering, When We Gather aims to create a true archive of students at GW, showcasing their interior life and detailing how they managed to find community at a predominantly white institution (PWI).
Historically, people of color’s histories have often been told for them, leaving out the truth because they are not told from the perspective of the people living the history. It is essential to our survival that we tell our own stories, create and document our memories. I reference Toni Morrison’s essay “The Site of Memory” as a basis for the importance of individual memory and history. In this essay, she explains why the autobiographies, diaries, and memoirs written by enslaved people serve as necessary historical documents because, unlike other historical documents, they capture the interior lives of the enslaved, which is just as, if not more, important to document.
As a PWI, GW lacks dedicated spaces for Students of Color, particularly Black students, to gather. The MSSC was once a gathering place, but its waning presence over the years and post the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly diminished the accessibility of this singular resource for students of color. However, as a member of the BIPOC community here,
I have witnessed firsthand the bonds we have managed to forge for ourselves despite the lack of space given to us by the university. These connections are built in the dorms, in class, through mutual friends, in passing, etc. I want to highlight how different BIPOC students within my friend circle have built their relationships.
Black people, especially, have for centuries been removed from or misrepresented in history. As Toni Morrison puts it, “historically, we were seldom invited to participate in the discourse even when we were its topic.” This is why individual memory is so important; it creates a space where Black stories told by Black people are valued and just as historical as any other text. Projects like this one prioritize memory, which is essential to our legacies and will shape the history our ancestors will one day read about their people. This is the mission of the BLACK ACE Magazine, to provide a space for the stories to be told and for us to use art as a medium to speak.
Our interior life is a part of our history and is valuable to save and document.
welcome
“If writing is thinking and discovery and selection and order and meaning, it is also awe and reverence and mystery and magic.” -- Toni Morrison
editors note
This project idea has been a long time in the making. Freshman year, I took an Africana Studies class here with Randi Kristensen. As our final project, we had to choose a topic to research, propose, and execute a potential solution for the issue. The issue I researched was about internalized racism in the Black community and how it is perpetuated by white supremacy, white-centered media, and systematic racism. Internalized racism is a psychological concept that describes the internalization of racist beliefs, ideas, actions, and behaviors that have been projected onto one for so long. Since our society more often than not accepts “whiteness” as the standard and condemns anything else, this can leave people with a desire to dissociate from what is not accepted and adopt what is. Donna Bivens, an educator specializing in diversity, inclusion, and equity training, explains the concept: “Individuals, institutions, and communities of color are often unconsciously and habitually rewarded for supporting White privilege and power and punished and excluded when we do not.”
The solution I came up with for how to combat this issue within our community was inspired by a quote by Audre Lorde: “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” The idea is that through radical self and mutual love, we could foster communities of love to uplift ourselves and our Blackness. My action was to create an online publication titled “Micro-Affections.” This publication would be centered around teaching Black love and self-care by unlearning anti-Blackness and re-learning through Black literature and art. In an analysis by Darnell Moore, African-American Author and Black studies theorist, it is stated that love and self-care can combat feelings of internalized racism and disarray in the Black community—he called these actions micro-affections.
I consider When We Gather a branch of the Micro-Affection ecosystem, a project that exists to show the love I have for my community regarding our memories and experiences as sacred and historical.
Putting this project together has been an absolute joy over the past few weeks. My only regret is not starting it sooner and getting a chance to engage the entire Black community at GW in it.
This is a true love letter to the people in my life. I hope this small book can serve as a reminder of the bonds we all built and the memories we made while here.
Thank you for taking the time to read and view this project. Surely, more is to come.
Take Care,
doodles, meadows, & tidal waves
friendship as fun
This is a friendship defined by fun. In this union, laughter is currency, lightheartedness and candidity are doctrine, and enjoyment a human right. This trio fashions themselves as an open field of wildflowers in tall grass; warmly welcoming all things nearing it. These are my roommates, Amira, Lyd, and Maddy.
I learned this year that thinking too much and too deeply about the world we live in is a guaranteed way to drive yourself into madness. And I nearly have, many times, as so many other college students have. The pressures of academics, social life, family, and work compound so easily, an unbearable weight on our backs impossible to fathom or carry alone. It can leave us depressed, leave us isolated, and leave us desperate for escape, and a lot of the times the coping mechanisms be worse than the actual problems. The healthiest of them all, however, is a good ass time. There are few feelings better than the sensation of laughing so hard you have to hold your breath, and smiling until your cheeks and ears are sore. Our friendship is built on gathering in fun—on having the scent of good food sneak under the crack of your bedroom door inviting you to join, waking up to a coo of ‘good mornings’, coming home after a long day to sit around the coffee table over a cup of tea, a conversation, a tv show. These are the moments of whisking away which keep us sane.
Knowing them is a gift, and even more so a miracle. We often ask ourselves the question “what are the odds?”--- and ponder, imagining all the millions of moments which had to occur for all of us to be together in this very moment despite our vastly different backgrounds and origins.
Lydia Abera(she/her)
21, Aurora, CO
Class of 2023
Amira AlAmin (they/them)
21, Solon, OH
Class of 2023
Maddy Cruz
22, Woodbridge, VA
Class of 2023
lydia abera maddycruz ami
ra a l a m ni
Amira Al Amin and their friends will find any and every occasion to celebrate. Amira can often be found perched on the Kogan Sign in the center of campus greeting their friends and acquaintances with a bright smile and bubbling energy.
“Seeing your friends feels like seeing a celebrity. I love to celebrate the people in my life and be celebrated by them.” Amira said
Throughout the afternoon, people pile up by the sign—to talk, to laugh, to say hi, or to hop up and sunbathe for a while alongside others. Whether just passing through Kogan on the way to class, or looking for a midday escape from responsibility, the Kogan Plaza sign and Clock tower have become one of many unofficial meeting places for Amira and their friends.
“Coming together feels so second nature, it happens so organically, it’s rare that I plan a gathering—it feels like we are all so drawn to each other.” Amira said.
Creating bonds like this was a long process, which Amira was not exactly prepared for coming into college. Coming from a predominantly white area in Ohio, Amira knew deep down they were ready for a change of environment and company. Coming to college in DC would be that opportunity to start fresh and finally meet people who shared in their Black and queer identities. Amira was able to start meeting people in the GW Class of 2023 Facebook group chat where incoming students would post short bios about themselves to try and connect with other peers. Amira posted in this Facebook group, not expecting to meet two lifelong friends from it.
“I met my friend Eduardo in the facebook group chat that was set up for the class of 2023. He followed me on instagram and dmed me, and we just started talking and facetiming,” Amira said, “at first I thought he wanted me…but then I found out he was gay.” Amira laughed recalling
“I met my friend and roommate Kiera the same way, we started dming on instagram after I posted a picture of Pharrel which she responded to, this started a conversation about our music tastes and interests, and we’ve been friends ever since.”
Making friends like these early on who Amira felt they could identify with really set the tone for the types of relationships Amira wanted to welcome into their life during college. For the first time they were exposed to the possibilities of what true connection and understanding could do, how it could open up their world view and teach them more about how to love others and appreciate life.
After coming to GW in the fall, they met a lot of people but when freshman year came to a halt in March 2020, a lot of these new relationships were forced to a halt. The interruption of their freshman year due to COVID
gave them time and space to really reflect on the friendships they had started over 3/4ths of a freshman year—were these friendships really meaningful, were these the communities they wanted to be a part of?
“The only friendships I really maintained from Freshman year were Eduardo and Kiera…friendship was so vague then, a lot of people at GW were very friendly so it felt like everyone was your friend. But after we went home because of COVID, a lot of those friendships did not hold up.”
Sophomore spring semester was a chance to start over, this time being far more intentional about what kind of company they wanted to keep. During this time Amira started to find their people. Getting close to people like their friends Lydia, Jovwan, and Mei during that period is when “college actually started to feel like college.” Amira built most of their strong connections over sophomore and junior year.
Community was so key in making Amira’s college experience feel real and meaningful. In their experience, the university did not provide many spaces formally for Amira, other students of color, or queer students to come together and meet one another. It was the interactions which happened outside of class, work, and student organizations that made these relationships possible. Just simply being in their dorm room hanging out with friends is one of Amira’s favorite ways to gather.
The old, stained blue furniture and carpet which fills most GW dorm rooms became the arena for the birth of many of Amira’s friendships. Kickbacks, game nights, dinner parties, late night study sessions—with each gathering the relationships grew and deepened.
“When we come together it’s always a lot of banter–we’re always doing bits, making eachother laugh. I feel emotionally full after gathering with friends,” Amira said. “We can have deeply introspective conversations, but also silly ones—there’s something to gain from both I think.”
There is great value in standing in the clock tower with your friends soaking in sun on a random afternoon, and in sitting in the led lit living room of a South Hall dorm room. Life long connections have been built in these settings, and memories which will never be forgotten.
“It’s so easy to be around them, when I’m with them the air is sweeter, the food tastes better, all of that.”
kindness kept friendship as safety
Secutiry is the feeling of holding someone, arm in arm, a constant presence, an unwavering declaration of support, an impenetrable bond. This is a connection Kiandra and Yaanca have fostered since they were children and were lucky enough to bring into college. Everything about freshman year lacks security—a new environment, new people, new lifestyle, new sets of expectations. Kiandra and Yaanca got to serve as each other’s anchors to stay grounded during this time.
While having that security was comforting, they also felt how it was limiting, and stopping them from branching out and forming new connections. This changed when they met India. When they first met, they clicked, but the real depth of their relationship was cultivated Junior Year when India and her roommate Anny asked Kiandra and Yaanca to join their room.
The three fondly recalled the first night they spent together in the dorm after spending months apart due to COVID-19. They were somewhat apprehensive, unsure of what to expect from their still developing and long interrupted friendship, and now living together for the first time. The girls sat in the living room eating District Fried Chicken and for the first time were able to truly bond with each other.
I met India, Kiandra, and Yaanca separately, so learning the three were also friends and would be rooming together made so much sense—the perfect combination of personalities and energy. Their dynamic radiates a pure serenity and lightheartedness. Anyone in their presence can feel how much they cherish each other and how much they can rely on each other.
Their story shows the power warm smiles shared in passing, an invitation, and a bucket of fried chicken have to bring people together in a very meaningful way.
Kiandra Dezulma(she/her) 22, Spring Valley, NY Class of 2023
Yaanca Larame (she/her) 21, Spring Valley, NY Class of 2023
India Moore 22, Reidsville, NC Class of 2023
kiandradezulma india moore yaanca larame
to bond, and introducing each other to their friends and friends of friends allowed them all to meet more people they really connected with.
Now Kindara, Yaanca, and India can comfortably say they have found their people. It took time, and several trials and errors but it was worth it because now they have found spaces built on shared identities where they have found friends that feel more like family.
“I feel less of a need to adapt who I am to fit into the people I want to be friends with,” Yaanca said.
Building these family-like connections where she could feel supported and understood was important for Kiandra.
“Coming from a small family, I feel like I’ve been able to expand my family through the friendships I’ve built.” Kiandra said.
Now as Seniors, Yaanca, India, and Kiandra have felt how much of an impact their friendships with one another and other friends have made on their lives. They now realize how essential community is to getting through difficult times, and how much joy and relief comes from spending time with people you love.
“It’s 100% a community effort, and I learned that when I was going through some harder stuff. Knowing I had people around me to support me was so valuable” India said,
Similarly, Yaanca expressed the necessity of gathering as an escape from life’s most challenging moments. It is just as important and impactful as any other form of self care. In our younger years, it was easy to take for granted the importance of friendships, but in college you really start to feel just how much you need a solid support system.
“Gathering is essential to our mental state…it’s a celebration, our moment to release and catch up with each other.” Yaanca said.
Coming together is not the question, but the answer to countless questions and confusions, “I always feel better after spending time with you guys” India smiled.
it takes a campus
friendship as comfort
College roommates are notoriously difficult. Coming to college is the first time a lot of people have ever lived with people besides close family, so naturally issues arise and conflicts brew. With all the turbulence that can occur with rooming with someone, having a roommate who is a friend and confidant truly becomes a luxury, and something to cherish. Feeling comfortable and comforted at home is something Ella and Amaeka have been privileged to find in each other as roommates.
Their friendship is a deep sigh of relief after a long day, knowing there is someone at home who is there for you.
Whenever I get the chance to third wheel this dynamic duo, I immediately feel lighter; through laughter, lounging around their dorm, in debriefs, and even in silence, the comfort Ella and Amaeka have cultivated in their space is undeniable.
The sisterly bond they share goes deeper than just proximity or shared interests, it’s a testament to what can happen when someone takes their time to understand you fully, flaws and all, and choose to love you despite.
Ella Stern(she/her)
21, Pelham, NY
Class of 2023
Amaeka Effiong
22, Gaithersburg, MD
Class of 2023
amaeka effiong ella
stern
Ellas life practically flashed before her eyes when she mistakenly dropped and smashed the camera equipment she rented from SMPA. After a week of bad things piling on top of her, this event was enough to make her break. It validated and seemingly confirmed the already blaring thought of inadequacy and disappointment she had been feeling at the time. Unsure of what to do, she called her friend Julia, who comforted her and helped her figure out what to do. Then, she called her mom, still in need of a place to emotionally release all that had been on her mind.
“I was telling her how I felt like everything was going wrong, and I couldn’t pull it together and she said ‘one thing you didn’t say is you’re not alone. You’ve found your people and built your community’, and it was really gratifying to hear that, she reminded me that I have people to call on, to be supported by. “ Ella said.
Ella’s mother always says to her ‘it takes campus’. It serves as a reminder that although this particular time of life is undeniably hard, and you’re constantly questioning yourself and your path, the networks of people you’re able to build are invaluable and key in getting through the difficult moments.
At first Amaeka Effiong did not yet realize the importance of building meaningful connections.
“I didn’t really have a plan but I was really set on not getting too attached to the people I met because I was always told that the friends you make freshman year don’t last so I carried that mindset early on.” Amaeka said.
Amaeka met one of her closest friends to this day, Vishali, Freshman year, but even in the beginning of that friendship her jaded mindset toward freshman year relationships convinced her that it probably wouldn’t last.
Both Ella and Amaeka agreed that Freshman year most people come in really eager to make friends and find community, so everyone is friendly and nice, however this friendliness does not always lead to meaningful connection. Because of this it can be hard to tell what connections will be lasting or who is really being genuine with you. They felt this especially when trying to join student organizations and take advantage of opportunities for first year students to meet each other.
“I wasn’t taking the time to be like ‘who do I actually want to be around’, it was more like these people want to hangout so I’ll hang out with them” Amaeka said.
In Ella’s experience, she wanted to be intentional about what spaces she put herself in to surround herself with like-minded people who would be positive influences on her life, but still this wasn’t a foolproof way to finding close friends.
“I was intentional about what kinds of orgs I joined like BSU and ABJ very early on because it seemed like a way for me to find community. For me it’s easy to be friendly and meet people, but It can be hard to make a true connection.” Ella said.
Ella and Amaeka both left freshman year with lots of new friends who they met mostly through their residence halls and mutual friends—that’s actually how they ended up meeting each other, although their friendship would not develop till much later.
They were introduced through both of their roommates in the first week of school. After hanging out here and there at the freshman welcome events that GW hosted, they maintained a friendly acquaintanceship through the school year but it never developed past that. That is until they reconnected Sophomore spring semester both living in Shenkman Hall. WIth such few people living on campus during that time due to COVID-19, it gave them the opportunity to get to know eachother better and eventually decide to be roommates the following year.
Junior year felt like a fresh opportunity to build more meaningful relationships and revisit underdeveloped relationships from freshman year which were cut off due to the virtual academic year because of COVID-19. This is when they felt they were able to solidify their community.
Ella unsuspectingly found strong relationships at her job in admissions. Amaeka similarly allowed herself to branch out more, meeting friends through events and through mutual connections, but this time really allowing herself to build attachments to the people she was meeting and being more intentional about who she wanted to be around.
In building these connections, Amaeka feels she’s created a, “very holistic range of support.” A variety of people she can call on for different situations.
“They don’t have to all be a part of the same group to be my people— your community can be very widespread.” Amaeka added.
Gathering over food, activities, and conversation in the dorms is common for Amaka, Ella, and their respective friends. These moments of fun are essential, but the emotional support, self awareness, and growth they have experienced from these bonds have changed who they are as people fundamentally.
An important lesson Ella can take away from her college experience is, “friendships aren’t built overnight…even 4 years isn’t enough.” And she hopes to continue fostering these friendships as the years go on.
“What we do doesn’t matter as much, just that we’re doing it together.” Amaeka said.
gentle giants
friendship as invitation
Jovawn used to be one of the girls. He was the only boy in most of his female majority friend circles. A friend, little brother, and bodyguard on nights out all in one. That is until he met David and Josh. Now the three of them are inseparable, and it’s hard to see one without seeing the others.
Don’t let their height fool you, though you might have to break your neck to have a conversation with them, they are far from intimidating. They are actually some of the sweetest, most inviting people I have ever met. Especially considering that I met Jovawm after crashing his party—inviting is an understatement. I was first introduced to David and Josh as the ‘E Street boys’. Their junior year dorm room at 1959 E Street was the gathering place for so many last year. Friendships were started and built in that room, unforgettable memories created, all due to the warmth and hospitality they offered everyone who entered their space.
Warmth is really the first step to connecting with someone— opening a door, offering a seat, handing a drink. Letting someone know that your space can be theirs too.
Jovawn McNeil(he/him)
21, Long Island, NY
Class of 2023
Joshua Nyaringo (he/him)
21, Carteret, NJ
Class of 2023
David Vasser
23, Rio Grande, NJ
Class of 2023
jovawn mcneil joshuanyaringo
david vasser
There are about 2,800 Black people at GW, 840 if they are Black men, and 280 if they are also undergraduates.
At a school with over 27,017 students, about 10,000 of them being undergraduates, 280 is an extremely small community of people with shared identity. On top of the community already being small, forming a deep connection takes so much more than those 2 bonding points of being Black men; It also takes common interest, compatible personalities, relatable upbringings, morals, and so much more to truly become close to someone.
Naturally with these statistics it can be harder for Black men on GW’s campus to connect and find a place to feel seen and known within their demographic. David Vasser and Joshua Nyaringo were lucky to be each other’s first college friends, but finding others outside of their duo was the more difficult part.
When Josh first moved into his Thurston dorm room, he noticed that his two other roommates were white. This made him feel unsure of how to react initially, but he had already subconsciously accepted the idea that he might be the only Black person in the room. However, when David, the final roommate, arrived, Josh was pleasantly surprised to see another Black person in the room. His surprise grew even more when David overheard Josh speaking to his family in Swahili and responded by speaking the language himself. This unexpected connection between the two roommates provided Josh with a sense of comfort and belonging in his new living space.
After talking and learning they were both from New Jersey, both spent time growing up in the same parts of Kenya, were both pursuing engineering degrees, and had the same interests, they instantly became friends.
The first week of living on campus, one of their white roommates invited them to come hang out with him and his friends. They accepted the invite, open to meeting new people, but David and Josh immediately felt out of place in this mostly white group.
“We stuck out like a sore thumb…none of our jokes would land, whenever we would try to play music we’d get kicked off aux…it was just a bad vibe all around.” David recalled.
For David, this was the moment he realized he needed to be around more people of color if he was going to find the right friend circle. Growing up going to school in Kenya, all the peers he ever had were Black so it didn’t even register for him that now attending a predominantly white institution he would now need to actually seek out friends with shared identities.
Having close friends has always been very important to David. He spent most of his life in boarding school far from family and was much younger than the cousins he grew up with, leaving him often left out and picked on. Because of this, he turned to his peers in school for connection and has since prioritized starting and maintaining friendships in his life. He
knew early on making these connections was essential for him.
Josh went in with a similar mindset not really understanding what the landscape of a PWI would feel or look like for him socially. He felt the discomfort of being in that all white space, but at the time didn’t yet feel the push to put himself in different environments.
“I was let down, but at the same time part of me was like ‘i just gotta make this work,’” Josh said.
Meanwhile, Jovawn McNeill was moving into his Freshman year dorm assignment in Somers Hall on GW’s Mount Vernon campus.
“The vern was a cult.” Jovawn laughed as he described the isolation and forced interaction so many Mount Vernon students experience.
Because he was so far from main campus, Jovawn used his naturally sociable personality to mingle with the people he had at his disposal, who happened to be mostly white. Wandering around his residence hall allowed him to meet some of the people who would make up his early college friend group.
“I wanted more friends of color, but in the very beginning I just wanted to find people I messed with. I felt really isolated from the Black community on the Vern, so I just wanted to find people I felt comfortable with.” Jovawn said.
It wasn’t until quarantine that he really started taking a closer look at the people who he had spent freshman year surrounded by. Jovawn was craving a community of people who understood him, and all parts of his identity. Beyond the surface level connections, he felt a lot of the friendships he had formed were missing true understanding and depth. He used this as a driving point to be more intentional Sophomore year to prioritize the friendships he had built with people of color, and to do more to put himself in Black spaces.
The Boys’ paths crossed Junior year when they met at a mutual friends party. After several weeks seeing each other at the same functions and running into each other in their dorm building, their short conversations soon blossomed into a close brotherhood.
“If I didn’t have you guys I don’t know what I’d be doing.” Jovawn said.
This group likes to gather with their friends whenever they can. With everyone’s busy schedules, this often looks like meeting up at odd hours but as long as they get to be together, the time isn’t so important.
“We gather out of love,” David responded when asked why they choose to gather. The love and connection they’ve built with each other and all their other friends in Jovawn’s words is, “completely indispensable.”
–
sitting on the bathroom floor
friendship as family
Ben grew up an only child but thanks to college now he has 3 sisters, fulfilling his childhood dream of having siblings. Junior year Sofia, Maya, Hannah, and Ben had each other’s schedules memorized to a T. Although they didn’t all officially live together, they practically did, spending any free moment they had, together.
As any family would, they gather around the living room, debrief their days, and perhaps put on a show. This simple act of gathering at home is a much needed release from the day. Someone, most likely Sof, will make the group a delicious meal in the kitchen which they will enjoy together after cozying themselves up somewhere in the apartment.
The living room, the kitchen, and sometimes even the bathroom floor,where these four used to routinely meet after classes to share a joint, talk, and listen to music, are all important spaces for coming together. A warm hug from Maya, a kind smile from Hanah, big sisterly advice from Sof, and a ring of laughter from Ben decorate the spaces, coloring the walls and their hearts, making it home.
In college I learned the value of a chosen family. Living away from home for the first time makes us realize how integral having a support system is. This support system transcends blood relations, and should comprise of people who make us feel seen, heard, and cared for fully, exactly as we are. Family doesn’t need to look like you or come from the same place as you to understand you, to love you.
Sofia Yanza(she/her)
22, North Brandford, CT
Class of 2023
Maya Pinney(she/her)
22, Rutherford, NJ
Class of 2023
Hannah Jospeh(she/her)
22, Santa Clarita, CA
Class of 2023
Ben Averia
22, Fairfax, VA
Class of 2023
ben averia maya pinney sofia yanza hannah joseph
Coming into college, Hannah Joseph was worried about only being surrounded by white people. Attending a PWI was daunting. She knew from the start she would need to be somewhat intentional about making friends of color and placing herself in the right environments to meet people who shared her background. To her surprise, the first friend circle she fell into was made up entirely of students of color, one being Ben Averia, who is still one of her best friends to date. While she is still grateful to have been surrounded by a community of other students of color so early on in her college experience, in hindsight, the group lacked any real compatibility or similarities. This became glaringly evident after they were separated due to COVID-19, and all came back as vastly different people.
“Looking back, I’m like, what did we even talk about?” Hannah laughed.
This is the reality for so many students of color at GW. Especially as freshmen, so much development and identity-building is still happening, which can leave friendships in a volatile place as individuals grow and evolve. Hannah and Ben felt this coming back to campus Junior year and realizing they no longer resonated with many of their friends.
The class of 2023, who had their Freshman year interrupted by the COVID-19 shutdown, were collectively eager to come back to campus once the university returned to in-person instruction.
“When I think of my college experience, it’s distinctly freshman year, and then everything else,” Ben said, referring to the vastly different nature of freshman year compared to post-COVID life back on campus.
Sofia Yanza was also looking forward to coming back to campus Junior year as a fresh start. She left GW in the spring of her freshman year, hating the school and wanting to transfer. She had started to make friends before COVID happened, but still felt that she “didn’t have anything solid.” However, it ended up being the encouragement from friends she had started to build, one being Maya Pinney, that convinced her to give GW another try and stay in hopes of building these connections further.
“It was the connections I had built that kept me here, and I’m glad they did,” Sofia said.
Maya was also very jarred by the interruption of freshman year by COVID. She vividly remembers sitting with Sofia and a few of their other new friends a few days before being kicked off campus, planning their first night out to the clubs. At this point in the semester, she had just started to feel like she was getting the hang of things and building relationships, so having it cut off so abruptly was disappointing. But similarly to Hannah, Ben, Sofia, and so many other students in her class year, the second chance she was granted junior year would not be something she squandered. She took the opportunity to build her friendships deeper and make new ones by putting herself out more than she ever had before.
“Last year to now has been so transformative for me,” Maya said, discussing the newfound confidence and outgoing personality she has fostered over the past year.
Maya, Hannah, Sofia, and Ben crossed paths in their dorm building. They were next-door neighbors living in District House when Hannah and Ben went over to knock on Maya and Sofia’s door to borrow something. Ever since, they haven’t left each other’s sides. Becoming friends allowed all of them to branch out and meet so many people through each other, expanding their circles significantly.
Although each of them comes from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds, just the shared identity of being students of color has been a huge bonding point for them. Ben expressed that being friends with the girls has helped him appreciate his culture more, and despite their different identities, he still feels beyond seen and understood for who he is
