The Cycle of Learning and Life Never Ends

I will never forget you Dean Almandrez

I'll Miss You Mandy! 

Sadly, I will no longer wake up next to my roommate, Mandy, talking about how she wants to go back to sleep. I will no longer wake up to the sound of my friend’s running back in forth in the hallway rushing to get dressed, so that they won’t be late for class. I will no longer wake up to the sight of beautiful pine trees swaying in the breeze outside my window.  I feel very sullen about leaving Brown University, because this summer program was like an escape from reality. I enjoyed waking up every morning going to a class filled with people who have beautiful souls and truly want to learn. Everyone in that classroom wanted to be a part of the Women and Leadership program and I am overjoyed that I had the pleasure of being in the presence of such inspirational women. I am grateful that Dean Almandrez was my teacher and I can still feel the power of each word that she spoke to me in that classroom every single day. I was a part of a family that made offered me comfort when I didn’t feel like I could achieve my goals in the future. I am passionate and headstrong, but I didn’t know that until I came to the Women and Leadership class. I gained so much confidence during my time at Brown University that I wish all young women would have the opportunity to attend the Women and Leadership program.

Yes, I'm crying 

I can remember how proud of myself I was back when I was chosen to be a part of the Ivy League Connection. I was proud, but scared of what the future might entail. I can still recall the moment that I saw my name on the dinner invitation that made me the for the student speaker for the night. I was so afraid that I would humiliate myself and I had to muster all the strength I had in my body to get up in front of all those intimidating individuals and speak from my heart. I’ve learned so many lessons from working with people with a wide array of personalities and I received everything that I sought to find out about myself while I was in the Women and Leadership program. One of the reasons why I wanted to participate in the Women and Leadership program was, because not only would I better myself as a student, but I would also become a better person in the process. I wanted to challenge myself to see if I could handle the pressure of being in a new environment, with people who I’d never met before and learning terms that I had never heard of. I am used to being in a classroom where I am the only one interested in exploring different theories and coming up with solutions for the problems that I see in society. Nonetheless, I was able to be around some many bright young men and women who shared the same passion as me. I will truly miss all of my classmates who praised me for just being myself.  I wish that I could go back in the past and tell myself not to be afraid of success, because I can finally fulfill my dreams of being an advocate for young women in society. I can now pass on the knowledge that I’ve gained in order to help other women out there and so on and so forth. The cycle of learning never ends, but there is always an opportunity for it to begin.

Heidi Meuth and her beautiful smile that lights up every room that she enters 

I can’t remember the last time that I cried about leaving school until the day that I had to pack my bags and say good-bye to Brown University. I know that my living quarters weren't perfect, but the people that I shared that building with made it all worth it. People in my life don’t get opportunity like this presented in front of them every day and I feel like I am so blessed to say that I have. There are so many people in this world that would kill for an opportunity to go back in time and change the direction that their life is heading in, but I know that I wouldn’t change anything that has happened thus far for anything in the world.

Here are the faces of the people who I hope that I get a chance to see again. I miss you guys!

The hardships that I’ve faced in my life started to hardened my heart and soul which is something that I sought to retrieve on this trip. I feel like I accomplished my goal and I am a softer person. I will never be a person who allows people to mistreat me, but now I have the skills to have controversy with civility. I know believe again there are nice people in this world whose only intentions in this world are to promote positivity and female empowerment.  If in the future I meet people who have half as much character as the people that I’ve met here, then I know that my future will be filled with happiness and joy.

Good bye Brown University and Summer@Brown students