My mom was born in Toul-Rosières, France, and my dad in Barranquilla, Colombia; living abroad has always been a dream of mine for as long as I can recall. For as much as I love my quintessential suburban hometown in New Jersey, commonly home to multiple generations of the same family, I knew that life –– my life –– existed beyond those bounds. In second grade, with my dinosaur school project in hand, I attended a college tour with my oldest brother Ben (who is nine years older than me) and my mom. I remember listening to the student tour guide speak about study-abroad opportunities at Bucknell University. Since that moment, I have looked to studying abroad as my chance to live out one of my life dreams.
Thirteen years later, in the fall 2023 semester, I packed my entire wardrobe into two checked bags, dragged them through Heathrow Airport, settled into my flat in Elephant in Castle and officially embarked on a semester-long journey in London. At the time, I was admittedly a bit apprehensive about starting this new chapter in my life because all but one of my core friends accepted abroad programs in the spring semester. However, I told myself that this was the time to say “yes” to life and expand my circle to others, as together, we would share a collective experience of living in and experiencing London as Fordham students. Throughout the program, I quickly made many new friends that I consider to be instrumental pieces in my college experience, and I thank them for their friendships and the memories that we share, from exploring London’s culinary scene to listening to live music at Piano Works on Tuesdays to road-tripping from Vienna to Salzburg, Austria, to see the abbey from “The Sound of Music” to getting stranded in Taormina, Italy, at night and needing to climb down a cliff barefoot along the coast in search of a cab. (Sorry, Mom and Dad.)
The next semester, I got thrown into a subletting position with a friend I made abroad and three girls I had never met before, which is rare at Fordham. Despite having never met, the five of us instantly clicked. In retrospect, I believe we all had the mindset to embrace new friendships and make the most of the semester since our respective core friend groups were abroad. The house became a home because of the genuine friendships we made, and I look fondly on playing “Just Dance” after nights out, recapping our week every Friday in our backyard with a slushie from the Bronx Retail Market in hand and eating tacos every Thursday at Rancho’s. Many of the traditions we made are still carried to this day, even though we don’t live together anymore.
As senior festivities have commenced, I have been quite overwhelmed by my college experience coming to an end. I thank my incredibly supportive parents and older brothers who have shown up for me at both my best and worst (and driving me to Fordham so that I can avoid NJ Transit at all costs); my friends for bringing me out of my shell and being the sisters I never had; my professors who have consistently challenged my intellect and shaped my understanding of the world through literature, economics, theater, Spanish language, art and architectural history, religion and philosophy; Fordham for being the most beautiful college campus and offering me opportunities to explore my professional and individual interests through the Ram, Smart Woman Securities, New Student Orientation, as well as pilates classes and my love for Italian cuisine; and New York City for continually inspiring me.
Reflecting on my college experience, there are three key lessons that come to mind: Take initiative in your life: it is yours to live but, most importantly, yours to create. Say “yes” to life (an adage of my parents): open up to the world. Identify what you, individually, bring to the table –– that is, your competitive advantage: capitalize on your inherent strengths to promote yourself and lift others up.
After graduation, I’ll be living in Manhattan and working at a French investment bank in the debt capital markets, which I couldn’t be more thrilled about. While I slightly dread the fateful day of graduation, which is completely natural, I have never felt more prepared to go out into the world and start a new chapter. Fordham has instilled in me the self-confidence and backbone needed to take on challenges in new environments, and I am forever grateful to have said “yes” to Fordham. I can definitely say that I gave it the old college try.