Transitioning Communities: From Medgar Evers to Utica College

Nathaly Cuevas

Entering a new community different from what one is used to is always difficult. The transition from attending a commuter school to a dormitory school was very overwhelming for me. Being apart of the Medgar Evers community was different than being apart of the Utica College community. Being a woman in Utica College gives me the chance of being associated with many different communities. As a woman, being apart of the woman group gives me plenty of responsibilities within itself. As a woman, my responsibility on my campus is to first carry myself with respect. In this day and age, it is natural for a man to downgrade a woman and speak on her as if she is under him. It has become an era where men sexualize a woman and look at

her as a piece of meat. When woman carry themselves with respect it shows that they will not let any man walk over them or be vulnerable to them.
Another responsibility of mine as a woman on my campus is to uplift and support other woman in my community.

Social media has become such an immense part of today’s society that it is all everyone talks about. Social media constantly shows women what “beautiful” should look like and it clouds women’s views on themselves and other women. Uplifting and supporting one another is beneficial to one’s confidence and it shows women that we are all together and that we understand. On a college campus I believe that is essential that woman stick together. Rapes on college campuses is such an enormous topic that usually gets swept under the rug. If more woman begin to stick together and support one another we can not stop it because it is completely out of our control, but we can help each other out in the time of need and have each others back. Social media has now put women in competition with one another. It is strange to see women who are strangers being nice to one another. Instead, women feel they need to always be above other women and prove that they are better than other women. Women being in competition with another is strenuous to our growth as people. It is important for women to encourage one another because the world is already against us. Women must work twice as hard to be on the same level as men and we still, till this day, do not get paid the same. If more women came together as one, we will be able to show that we too can do it and that we do not need men. Another

responsibility as a woman on my campus is to work hard to show that I can do it. Women are used to being seen as nurturers and mothers rather than breadwinners. Compared to men, women are not seen as the smart gender. Working hard in and out of the classroom shows that women can too be successful.
Being that I am a woman of color, I also associate myself with the minority community at Utica College. Being a minority in this world is tough because there are so many attributes working against us. My responsibility as a minority is to show that we are all equal. I show that we are all equal by attending forums that have to do with race and I am always speaking on how we are equal and how the world will be a much better place if everyone was able to see that. It does not matter where we come from, the color of our skin, or the culture that we associate ourselves with. As students in Utica College we all share one common interest, which is to attain higher education to create a better future for ourselves. As a minority, I made it my responsibility to show professors my interest in the subject. I make sure to attend office hours when I have a question so that I do not fall behind in the shadows of others in my classroom. As minorities, it is our mission to show that we can be equal to others and that we are just as smart. Minorities also have to work twice as hard to be considered on the same level as others who are “above us”. Also, as a minority I make sure to have others feel included. There are many people who are not educated in other races and cultures and are curious to know more. I make it my responsibility to always incorporate my race and culture in class discussions where it is appropriate.
Being in Utica College I have gained many experiences through the organizations that I have been apart of on campus. When I first entered Utica College I was very kept to myself and I felt more comfortable being that way. Through organizations on campus such as Women in a New Direction, (W.I.N.D), I have become more outgoing. I am willing to walk up to people and make friends because I know how weird it can be to enter a new world and not have anyone by your side. In this organization I have gained the knowledge of knowing how to deal with many different personalities which is necessary for when I enter the real world. W.I.N.D helped me with getting more involved on campus. I attended community service events such as the breast cancer walk and helping out in soup kitchens. Experiences like these helped me understand the necessity of being a helping hand. Not everyone has the benefits of being well in health or knowing that they are going to have a meal to eat the upcoming day. One experience that will always stick with me in W.I.N.D is when the girls in the organization and I made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and handed them out to the homeless in the homeless shelters. They were so happy and thankful and that made me feel at ease. These experience helped me understand the importance of always giving back to the community.
Another characteristic I gained at Utica College was independence. College within itself makes you grow up quickly but being away from home helped me tremendously. My parents have always been protective of me and have always wanted to keep me under their rules. Going away I was now on my own and able to do all things that I pleased. Being at Utica college I was able to work two jobs, which are a writing tutor in the Utica College library and being a group leader at a local after school program. These two jobs made me extremely independent because while keeping up with my jobs I also had to keep up with my studies. Balancing the two is not always easy but it is fundamental to my future. When I graduate college and have a career I will be apart of a community of successful leaders and when I have to balance family life and work I have to be able to know how to get through the hardships in order to keep my community of successful leaders going.
Being apart of the National Society of Leadership and Success on campus has given me the knowledge of public speaking.

In order to become apart of this community, one has to have a GPA of 2.5 and above and have to go through a process to fulfill some requirements. One of the requirements to become a member of this community was to watch a presentation on public speaking and then I had to present a topic to a group of 10 people who were complete strangers. This specific requirement stuck out to me because public speaking is very important in becoming a leader. Public speaking is important in any community because it allows a person to be able to speak their mind and give ideas hat can be beneficial to the community. For me, public speaking allows me to become more involved in my community because it shows a sense of being approachable and being approachable is important to be able to help out a person or a community in need. College is an experience that will prepare you anything that life may throw at

you.