Having 20/20 Vision

I may not have 20/20 vision myself, but I do hold on to my three core values of community, activism, and action steps as a way to remind me that there is still work to be done. As the summer dwindles down, I have been reflecting quite a lot in regards to my experiences on my college campus during this Spring semester. I have kept trying to further develop my skills as a young Latina filmmaker, as well as taking the time to figure out more things about myself. As one of my friends once said, "You never stop figuring yourself out." But overall, the most unforgettable experience I have had is being able to expand my network and connect with individuals who have helped me become a better advocate and activist for my community. 

 As every day goes by, I learn a bit more about what it means to be a leader and how to continue helping those around me. I can honestly say the Lafayette College Food “Pard” Pantry has been one of my most exciting and successful projects yet. I did not initiate it (Riley Godshall in the Fall Semester did), but I am truly honored to have been able to carry it out throughout the rest of the semester and the summer. Despite all the problems this pandemic has posed, it was amazing to experience first-hand how the Lafayette community came together to ensure non-perishable food items and hygiene products were donated to the on-campus students. A number of us who stayed on campus owe it to administrators, professors, faculty and staff, as well as classmates and their families, who have offered to help out in any way they can. Being able to assist all the students who had to stay this summer was also a wonderful time to get to know them at a personal level than I would have during the school year. Most of the students who stayed were international. Needless to say, I learned so much more about their countries and cultures, along with having the honor of experiencing the same love and support they give and receive from one another. It made staying on campus during this time more welcoming knowing that even though we were unable to return home, we had each other. 

This summer was also filled with exploring more of the Lehigh Valley. Through the summer film internships my professor offered me, I was able to become more educated on issues that affect the daily lives of those in the Lehigh Community. Some of us coming from outside of PA and coming to Lafayette College for four years, tend to forget that we, too, live in our own bubbles. We tend to, at times, neglect the issues the counties around us also face such as gun violence, police brutality, mass incarceration, gentrification, and so many more. These topics are often talked about at the national level, but I have learned to challenge myself in asking what can I do to help out at the local level? Who are the local Lehigh Valley activists I need to engage with so that I can do my job as an activist and advocate for the community that surrounds me? Granted, there is only so much I can do, but by connecting with local organizations and bridging that gap with Lafayette College students, we could work together to help one another. There must be a stronger push to get these conversations to take place on campus. For this reason, I am looking forward to working on a few initiatives this upcoming school year which will help engage the student body in supporting the Lehigh Valley. Stay tuned!

Lastly, I know a variety of us at Lafayette were excited about our campus hosting the first-ever Lehigh Valley Migration Summit that was going to take place April of 2020. Needless to say, it has been postponed until the Spring of 2021. While it saddens me to have delayed this amazing project that a group of us had set in motion since last Fall, I am very optimistic of the fact that we will still have the same, if not more, support and momentum as we did this year. In addition, my activism work for my immigrant community never stops. It with great pleasure to also let you know that my friend, Basit, along with a wonderful group of friends (QueSton Bell, Milena Berestko, Fatimah Fair, Jefrey Lopez, Melissa Niles, Huslen Dashpurev, Aiana Shambetova, and Deniz Ozbay) have set in motion a two-week birthday fundraiser! Basit and I decided to bring together both of our birthdays (July 24th and August 1st) and follow the same example of a birthday fundraiser our close friend, Jefrey, did. Only this time, our fundraiser will be shared to raise scholarship money for undocumented students at Lafayette College. While we acknowledge that we lack a strong undocumented community in our student body, we feel it is important they know that they have a whole support system being built for them. As an undocumented student myself, I have felt it to be important to make other undocumented students aware of our resources. I also know that as an activist, I cannot do it all by myself. It also takes allies to join in on this fight for the rights of undocumented immigrants. So please, join us in this initiative we are implementing to ensure that undocumented students at Lafayette College feel welcomed and know that they have a whole community supporting them.

With all of this in mind, I cannot wait to see what this upcoming school year brings. I know for a fact 2020 has not been a great year for many of us. Yet, I look at it as always taking it one step at a time and begin to envision what our next steps as a community can be. Of course, one must always take care of themselves first. I am a strong believer in that taking a break to regenerate is completely okay and 100% necessary. Moreover, let us not forget that we are not alone in our fights. There will always be more than one person there to help lift us right back up when we need them to. My 2020 Vision Board is to keep taking it one day at time together as a community. What does yours look like?