Many students, when they finish college, cannot say that their lives have been changed in unthinkable ways. Sure, individuals mature, they find their passion and run with it, but their view on life most often stays the same. I, on the other hand, have had experiences that have changed me forever.
I was raised in a small town in Perkasie, Pennsylvania. There is not much to it besides a small historic town with plenty of farmland and strong personalities. I come from a town that raises itself on country pride and the ability to show off what you have worked hard for.
My family lives up to that expectation; we pride ourselves on hard work and believe in the idea that hard work will get you everywhere in life: the idea that you make your future, and if you do not work hard you will not get anywhere. Growing up, I was always told to do my best, and that quitting is never an option.
Sure, growing up I was used to always working hard in school and making sure that whatever I decided to join I would stick through it until the end. These values have shaped my work ethic and how I carry myself. I see the positives in this; however, I do not agree with every value I was taught.
I value some morals that my parents have instilled in me. My parents have showed me that hard work does pay off if you set your mind to it. My dad runs his own business, and my mom is the Coordinator of the Pennridge School District's Nursing program. I have grown up around parents who put the family before themselves and support my siblings and me in every way they can. I aspire to be half the people that my parents are—but there are some things I would rather not carry on.
Before coming to Cabrini, I was narrow-minded. I saw the world through how my parents told me, which was "Everything you do now will affect you somehow in the future, and nothing is free." But in my time here at Cabrini, I have transformed into a completely different person. I see the world through a completely different lens than I did before.
I have been blessed with taking classes that allow me to see the world beyond my own fingertips, experiencing a taste of what people in other countries encounter on a daily basis. The ECG classes that Cabrini encourages us as students to take allow us to become selfless individuals.
By taking ECG 300 and learning about with global issues, I have a newfound passion for those less fortunate than myself. This class has given me the opportunity to reflect on my life and to open my heart to those in need. However, my parents do not see these values the same way.
My parents, like most Americans, believe that individuals who are undocumented should enter the country through the process of getting a visa and papers. They do want the refugees to seek safety, but they want them to enter our country the same way our ancestors did.
Knowing that most Americans think this way is horrible. It scares me that people live their life everyday with that mindset. Since taking this ECG class, I feel more for these people and I want other people to see that these individuals are just like us. I want people to put themselves in those individuals' shoes and think about what they would want people to do for them.
Cabrini has shaped me into a person that thinks about how my efforts will affect other individuals. I think about how fortunate I am and tell myself that I am truly blessed compared to other people. Cabrini is not just a school to me, but the foundation from which I became the person that I am today. These four years have shaped me in ways unimaginable, and I will be forever thankful to be able to call myself a Cabrini University alum.
This article first appeared in The Loquitur, the student newspaper of Cabrini University.