The communities that we come from and are a part of play a huge role in who we are. This section delves into the ways community heavily influences how we navigate college as first-generation students.
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"My project, while it visually shows coffee being poured into a cup, really represents a place. A place called Front Porch. It is a place on the edge of the Cal Poly campus that serves free coffee, provides a place to study, do homework, or socialize--even into the wee hours of the night. As much as it is a place, it is also a community. During my four years of college, Front Porch has been my home away from home, and I know I am not alone in saying this. Many people may not know, but Front Porch's mission is rooted in the teachings of Jesus. For many people it is "church." Christianity has long been distorted in American culture, and has (rightfully so) been criticized by many. However, my faith has been an integral part of my journey as an immigrant and a first-generation student. As an immigrant as well as a first-generation student, there is not much to lean on
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outside of family; growing up going to church, I leaned on my faith and my belief in a higher power to just get by. But it is also the same faith that is claimed by powerful people who oppress the marginalized. It is the same faith that was claimed by those who enslaved other human beings just because of the color of their skin. I have always struggled with the idea of this common denominator that I shared. Front Porch has helped me to reclaim my faith. It has helped me to take it from those who use it to have power over others. It has pushed me to try to love others in the best way that I can. Front Porch's vision is this: 'a way of life where every person and moment matter.' To me, that is what Jesus was and is about."
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make enough to have a decent living, to somehow help the community in the future. Many see Fresno in a negative light, but I see a city of opportunity and change through more funding for health and education. A place where future generations won't have the systems of oppression affect their ability to get a higher education. "
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Take a leap on my dreamAlexander Silva is a fourth-year student, majoring in Biomedical Engineering. He is looking forward to returning in the Fall to begin his Masters.
Alex explains that he "chose dance because growing up movement was life. It was a matter of keeping on moving in order to survive and I think this medium is the only really way I know how to express those kinds of emotions really. We carry a lot of our history with us everywhere we go, every little cut and scrape or birthmark. So when we move, when we dance, we show all that off and we shouldn't be afraid to share that with whoever watches." "The first song "Getaway" helps show how I'm trying to leave behind a place that I'll always come back to. The second song, "High Rises" kind of pivots to where I realized I wasn't really coming to school to getaway from my community that I ran away from. I want to go back and help and reimagine what it could be. I wouldn't have been able to make it through school if it weren't for learning hard lessons and having the support of my friends and family here. I learned that I'm here to grow and learn so I can bring it back to where I came from. |
Alex describes how this piece is about trying to escape. "I wanted to get away from my old living situation and used education as a way to change. But the more I learned and developed here, the more I wanted to help give back to the place that made me who I am."
Photo source: https://unsplash.com/photos/-6EoO7mX9vc