Hello, my name is Bianca. (I apologize, I know this is supposed to be less formal but I know no other way to introduce myself. Must be those manners—they stuck to me after all.) I had not planned to come to Trinity University, but I knew I wanted to leave El Paso. After visiting the campus, I fell in love. My mother and I were blown away by the organization of the 360˚ program and the students and faculty we met. Honestly, I just remember thinking: these people seem so happy, so smart. Who doesn’t want that out of their college experience? Everyone seemed so willing to focus on helping you meet your goals—and they are. I came here with the conviction that I would become a doctor. Believe me, in high school I was driven by nothing else. Unfortunately, my high school chemistry education was nothing compared to the work involved in Organic Chemistry (2nd semester). I also noticed during my constant struggle to comprehend and keep up with the material that I really did not enjoy chemistry. Nothing about it excited me; not the formulas, the theory, my grades…

I talked with my advisor, I talked to my parents, I had endless rants with Nancy and over the summer I decided that I would pursue a major in Spanish, my most favorite subject in the world. This is a language that has surrounded me all my life, but never touched me until I took my first class in high school. From then, perhaps owing to my heritage, I have continued studying this language. It grew from a reluctant fascination and a feeling of obligation to an actual appreciation (and hopefully) some degree of proficiency.

And that is my story. There are bound to be more unexpected turns in the future (like what am I to do with such a major?), but I know that being here and feeling safe enough to explore my options will lead in me in the right direction. I mean, where else can I participate in so much?