Profiles - Students

Yamily Vazquez Political Science, Class of 2008 Jersey City, New Jersey More Student Profiles

Finding a home away from home

I'm from the city. I grew up in New York and now I live in Jersey City, New Jersey. I first came to Calvin through the Entrada Scholars program as a high school senior, and even then I knew things were going to be a lot different than at home. That summer, I prayed that I wouldn't quit and run back home because it was too challenging.

When I came to Calvin as a freshman, it was even harder. When I was in Entrada, I was at least living with people who were like me. As a freshman all I saw was Dutch, tall, blonde, blue eyes, and I came from a place where all I saw my whole life was dark skin, dark hair, dark brown eyes. I was, like, one out of a hundred kids who graduated from my school. It was a big public school where our books were ten years old, ripped up, writing all over the pages like graffiti. I came to Calvin and saw kids coming from private schools and Christian private schools, and even their public schools were amazing. It was such a culture shock. I came, and everybody was kind of shocked to my style and my music, but they opened their hearts to me. And instead of rejecting the difference, I think I kind of embraced it.

It's hard, but I thank God every day that I came. At Calvin, I found a home away from home even though I struggled. I think I struggled most with academics. I was in a ditch, and I tried to dig out with all the wrong things. It took me a long time to realize how to study and manage my social life. My main goal is to become a lawyer. When I go back home I want them to say, 'She did it. She did it with God's help.'

One of my bigger passions is working with teenagers and within the urban community. On campus I work for the office of Pre-College Programs. I work on the Dream Team, teaching high school kids about financial aid opportunities, and I work with the kids in Pathways to Possibilities. I like working with the bad ones. I like them because I see myself in them. I see how I used to be. I love talking with them, at least planting a seed, saying, 'You know, you can do more than you're doing now.' I want to leave them a vision of what they can do with their life. I want kids to know there's a lot of things out there for you, and it doesn't matter where you come from. You can do it.