So many of us are the children of immigrants, or are immigrants ourselves. So many of us see our parents putting themselves last so that we can be first. My parents have always put my needs above their own, keeping my sister and I at the center of their lives. They have always tried to give me everything I wanted and somehow knew what I didn’t even open my mouth to ask for. They gave me a childhood bigger than what we could afford. I’m rich in experiences because of how my mom has wanted to see me grow in every way and because of how hard my dad has worked throughout the years. My dad taught me confidence, my mom taught me perfection. I’m privileged not just because of the life I am able to live, but more so because of the two individuals who gave it all to me. 

Committing to Fordham was an extremely difficult decision. We were stuck between two options: Fordham and The City College of New York. The former was convenient, but expensive, the latter would be a train ride away, but more affordable. The pros and cons had to be weighed heavily, because there would be a loss and a gain either way. However, it was visiting Fordham’s campus that solidified our decision. I was struck by the beauty of this lovely Rose Hill campus, of course, but it was the people here that blinded us to any other option. Everyone’s willingness to help and stop to answer questions, whether it be an administrator or even passing students, made us see the heart that lives on this campus, one as big as Eddies. 

We knew Fordham was it, but the money weighed on me like nothing else did; it weighed on me more than the joy I felt radiating off campus grounds. I remember standing outside Thebaud Hall with my parents on May 1, commitment day. My parents told me that it was okay, because, “Your education is above all else. What else would we work for if not to provide for you.” There are no words to capture the way I felt then, or even now writing this. A prayer and a payment later, I was officially Fordham bound! And I remain eternally grateful for the burden they willingly carry on their shoulders so that I can continue to live in convenience. 

A few weeks away from graduating high school, it hit me that I had not used my surroundings to their fullest, and there was no time left. Four years had gone by quicker than I had expected, and I was distraught. I promised myself right then that I’d hold onto the years of college, that I wouldn’t let them pass me by. I promised myself that I’d be involved in everything I possibly could, that I’d expand on who I was so much that I’d live these four years instead of watching them pass by from the sidelines.

I’m a week away from finishing my junior year. In two months I’ll be a senior and I think I’ve fulfilled that promise, Alhumdulillah. I’m so incredibly grateful for all that I’ve been able to experience at Fordham. The many amazing people I’ve met, the experiences I’ve had and the club positions I have the opportunity to hold could not have been done anywhere else. It had to be Fordham. 

While I do have one full year left, it already feels like the end is here. After a semester, I’ll be signing off from The Ram, one of the first organizations I got involved in. In just my first year, I was talking to production editor emerita Hannah Boring, FCRH ’25, at the club fair on my first day of classes, wanting to try this out, but worrying about my writing style. I had become increasingly anxious about others seeing my writing and if it would even fit in “the right way” for a newspaper. 

Hannah, you’re out and about in the world now, but thank you for guiding me toward copy nights. Thank you for making me feel like I was doing something meaningful by coming in every Monday to help copy edit, because that’s what gave me the confidence to apply for a staff position that year. And the next. And the next. I love The Ram and I love the Commuting Students Association — my second family with so many other commuters I have been able to connect with. I love orientation and Senior Week, I love MODE Magazine and all of the organizations I’ve had the privilege to be a part of. 

My parents have gone above and beyond to pave the way for me, and Fordham taught me how to pave my own way after that. I used to pass Fordham on my way to elementary and middle school. The other day, I put all the schools I’ve gone to into Google Maps and they formed a circle. It was always going to be Fordham.