As a freshman, I struggled a lot because I felt out of place and unwelcomed due to all of the racism that was happening on campus at the time. From the girls who stared me down on a daily basis for being one of the two brown girls in our hall to the racial slur written on the door of a guy who lived in the same building and more racial slurs written on the rock on Hill Street and Washtenaw Avenue. What made it worse was that there was little to no attempt to figure out who did it, so there were no consequences for the students responsible for these actions. The university’s failure to take action against these racial incidents made it seem as if these prejudicial behaviors were acceptable.
Throughout the school year I got to meet incredible people through La Casa, a Latinx
student organization, which allowed me to feel a little more comfortable at the University of Michigan. Regardless, I still felt like something was missing. My sophomore year went by and the feeling remained. It was not until I heard that a position for a Creative Content Senior Editor was available for Michigan in Color that I truly felt ecstatic. There was no way that I was going to pass up the opportunity to work with other creatives of color. I love how Michigan in Color provides a safe space to share our personal experiences and validates our emotions. This is definitely where I belong.