The first semester definitely had many lessons to learn. One thing I didn’t mention in my previous blogs is that I was pledging for Phi Iota Alpha, a Latino fraternity that focuses on uplifting the Latino community and bringing together the different people of Latin America. I feel strongly about my fraternity’s goals and that is why I chose to pledge my first semester.

For the next semester, I am definitely going to be even more involved with the Latino community on campus and try to reach out to the Latino students in the Boston area who are trying to make it to college. Now that I am a member of Phi Iota Alpha and involved with other Latino groups on campus, I am going to try to use my membership as a tool to reach out to the students who come from similar backgrounds as me.

Pledging for a fraternity and remaining involved in campus activities was very challenging but I definitely have learned how to manage my time in a way that I never thought possible. It was tough but my family back home and friends at school definitely gave me their support and with that I was able to be successful my first semester.

I am currently in Washington State right now as a guest speaker for a program called LCP, Latino College Prep. I shared my experiences as a first-generation American and first-generation college student and spoke about the importance of going to college and breaking the cycle. The students that I met in Everett, WA have definitely motivated me to continue reaching out to students and to continue working as hard as I can to succeed in college.

Remember, you need to go to college and be role models for all those who believe they can’t go to college because no one else in their family has.

As I’ve spoken with many of my peers, they’ve all said that the first semester was a definite challenge. Many of my new found friends will be returning to Dillard University while others won’t. One things for sure, we’ve all realized the Do’s and the Don’ts of college life. Making the decision to attend a university is a commitment, and one must be willing to go through the fire, one must be geared to weather the storm. As I enter my second semester at Dillard University, I do so with a cleansed mind and iron heart. My first semester was a tough one, but I’m definitely ready to turn the page. It is not healthy to live in the past, but we all should learn from our mistakes.

Being a first-generation college student, it is imperative that I seek guidance, branch out to grasp what I need to succeed in my environment. I’ve realized that it is true that everyone needs someone in their corner. So this semester one of my “Golden Rules” is to always seek assistance when I‘m unsure.

Another one of my golden rules is to learn to use time management. As students we have multiple things to balance in our lives, such as partying, employment, friends, romance, family, and most importantly education. Time management can make you or break you. Having good time management skills will definitely benefit you in the long run.

There are many things I know I must improve in order to be successful. I am on a mission this semester and there won’t be anything capable of detouring me.

Wow!  Like everyone else has said, this semester has absolutely flown by.    I remember during the first few weeks of school wondering whether or not I was going to handle the social situation of all these kids that I had very little in common with.  I did miss my family, my friends, and my comfort back home for the entire semester, but that feeling was especially strong in the first few weeks.  My peers at Oxy had all been extremely friendly, and almost without exception, they have proven to be caring, compassionate, and outgoing people.    Now, I understand that people at any college are probably more friendly than the average population, however it took a while for me to come around the realization that this is how ALL people CAN BE. What’s more, I had always imagined that the historic class struggle would keep me from ever really penetrating their ranks.

With this realization it was very easy for me to make friends.  I’ve never been, by any means, a socially estranged person, but I think I can finally understand how some might sense an alienation and let it confine them.  For me, it was that a few people went out of there way to be kind to me that this became possible.  They were my gateway to a larger population at the school.   While still existent, those feelings of loneliness and distance from familiarity were significantly downplayed.  I am appreciative then for my new friends who have made being away a genuinely great experience and who have taken the pain out of it.  I genuinely believe that without them I probably would have performed much worse this semester (grades were 3 A’s and a B — the B was in a math class).  I guess what I’m saying is that, especially at a residential college, social interactions are a part of the equation. I would caution all people though to watch the company you keep because new friends might be detrimental to your success, something thus far I have tried to avoid.

Class of 2009…Class of 2013…Class of 2015…

After you say them enough, they all begin to roll off the tongue.  While these years may mean little to you, for me, they represent graduation years—high school, undergrad, Master’s…the list could continue for quite a while.  The years also symbolize change, something present in everyone’s life on the eve of a new year, particularly for current seniors.

My advice:

BE OPEN

BE PREPARED

BE EXCITED

Open to the many new experiences headed your way, some of which you may have never considered participating in.

Prepared for all that has yet to come and for the events you have yet to finish.  Before the college journey begins…finals, admission decisions, prom… (GRADUATION!)… all remain.

Excited because here you finally are—on the brink of a novel environment—closing the chapter of elementary, middle & high school…progressing to another stage of your life.

Be all of these things and ultimately, be ready for change.

So here I am, back in Arkansas for Christmas break.  I exchanged a 78^o climate for 37^o weather.  I’m back at my job at Steinmart, greeting customers and bagging purchases.  Once again, surrounded by family and familiar friends. But now it’s different.  I’m different.  Still myself but with subtle adjustments.  In fact, I realized that college may be a guide in becoming more “me”.

“To exist is to change, to change is to mature, to mature is to go on creating oneself endlessly…”

–Henri Bergson

So, as you finish up senior year in the next few months and Fall 2010 becomes more of a present reality, keep who you are in mind, but also be willing to change…to mature…to progress…

Finally finished my first semester at Harvard!!! I can’t even describe how I feel. The first thing I did when I got out of my last final (Philosophy), was call my mom. She was at work so she couldn’t answer but I left her a voicemail thanking her for helping me overcome all the obstacles we have faced together. It was tough, but we made it!!

This semester was most definitely a challenge but it just takes adjusting. It’s nothing you can’t handle!

If I could give a piece of advice: learn to manage your time while still in high school; set your goals and in everything you do, ask yourself if it is helping you get to where you ultimately want to go. Also, always make time for family and friends; they are the ones that will help you get through the rough times.

The Holidays are here!! I can’t wait to come back home!! I just hope that I will be able to reconnect with all my old friends after four months. I have so many stories to share. College is definitely one of those life-changing experiences that help you gain perspective on the world. I never thought I would make it, but through hard work and faith, you can too!!

Keep working hard guys and enjoy the holidays! I’ll definitely blog again soon!

Thanksgiving was spent away from home but I was still able to enjoy it in great company. There is an organization on campus called RAZA which is centered around Mexican-American culture. Every year for the past 4 years, RAZA goes to Ed’s house for Thanksgiving (Harvard ‘06). It was so much fun being able to spend it with this new family I have been able to find here at Harvard. I ate A TON!! It was delicious.

It was hard being away from family but I was able to Skype with them on Ed’s computer. They were, of course, playing the rancheras and the cumbias back home but we had that playing at Ed’s house too so I felt at home. Seeing my family over Skype was definitely a great feeling. I felt as if I was right there with them.

So, remember, even though you may be thrown into another world once you get into college and might not be able to see your family during the holidays, there are still ways to enjoy this time apart with close friends and with 21^st century technology.

I am thankful for my family, mentors, and friends who I owe my life to. I wouldn’t be the same without the experiences (good and bad) that I have shared with them. I am thankful for the opportunities that I have at hand, especially ones like the CSO Opportunity Scholars Blog which give me the opportunity to show you future first-generation college students that college is possible no matter what your background is.

And I am thankful for you, the reader, who has taken the time out of his or her schedule to learn more about my college experience. Hopefully you can find it in yourself to acknowledge the strength you have to break the mold and make it to college. Keep working hard and make the best out of every situation. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Being with my family these past few days has made me realize just how fortunate I am for having a house over my head for the holidays. I began to think about how many people don’t have anyone to go home to. 

I am grateful that everyone in my family is also relatively healthy and safe. I am thankful that I wake up every morning with no worries about how I’m going to eat that day, or where I’m going to lay my head down at night.

It’s so easy to forget just how many people are homeless during the holidays, and cannot even afford to feed their families. My heart truly goes out to those who are struggling during the holiday season.

My family may not be the richest, live in the nicest neighborhood, or drive the fanciest car, but we do have each other, and being home makes me realize that I have a support network of people who love me back home that many people do not have. 

Most of all, I am thankful to be where I am right now in my life, with the ability to shape my own  future. I am thankful to be in college, doing well and on my way to a successful career, because my own parents never had that chance.

The holiday has made me thankful for many things that we as a society often take for granted.

Happy Holidays Everyone!

Lend a helping hand to someone, donate to an organization, or do anything to take a small part in changing someone’s holiday for the better this season!

I got my first midterm back. I’m excited, I’m hoping for the best. Then I look at it- a horrible grade.  A horrible horrible grade.  This means I’m a failure. Here I am, so many people think I’m smart, so many people believed in me. By getting this bad grade, I’ve let everyone who believes in me down.

There are two ways this can go: I can hide in an abyss of the library and study my butt off, and feel bad about myself, or  I can ask for help, seek out resources, and improve. I can still mess up, that’s a fact of life. But it’s what I do after something goes wrong that determines what happens in the situation.

This may seem like common sense to you- of course, when you’re in trouble, you ask for help, we know this. I see you rolling your eyes. But this translates to more than just college, this isn’t just about when you get to college. There are so many steps to be taken before you get there. There are so many steps that you, your parents, anyone you may know may have not been exposed to yet. You are all intelligent and have tons of potential, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t allowed to ask for help. Nor does that mean that if you can’t figure something out that you or others perceive to be easy, that you can’t ask for help. In order to achieve what you want, in order to get what you all are  deserving of- an education- to help yourself and your families, you have to realize that you should NOT go it alone. Asking for help does not mean you are incapable or that you are unable to figure something out. To the contrary- asking for help is a sign of inner strength, for it shows that you know yourself and will go after what you want, and you are willing to learn and grow from experience.

So next time you have a question about an application question, or the steps to signing up to the SAT, or anything relating to what will help you succeed in the future, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Your family, your friends, your school, and Center for Student Opportunity (CSO), including us scholars, are here for you. We’ve been through it too.

I don’t like being a sore loser, so horrah for the Yankees. How about that Matsui?

Hey guys, me again [I hope someone actually reads my blog haha]

As the days roll by, I find that I’m becoming more and more enveloped with promoting this blog, and getting CSO’s message out. Why? Why…well it used to be because I was a scholarship winner and I was excited about blogging. I still am of course, but the answer to “Why?” is becoming, for lack of a better word, clearer and more meaningful.

As a son of immigrant parents, I am my family’s “golden child”. My family has sacrificed their own comfort just so I can live unchained by the limitations of Vietnam. Guess what? I’m just one out of thousands and thousands of kids with the same story. Your life could be based off the same platform as mine – a family who believes in their seed.

So this brings me back to the question “Why blog? Why promote this when you got the scholarship?” Because I got to eat some pie, and everyone else should eat too. What I’m trying to say is that there are plenty of other people who want to “eat” and now that I have my piece I need to help them eat. Because I understand what it’s like to be without pie, and I understand what it’s like to have a family who believes in you, and I understand that you sometimes feel like Atlas carrying the weight of the world, and I understand what it is like to stay up at night wondering how you’ll ever get out of this hell hole. We’ve all shared the same hunger pains,  &  we are tied together, while we may not know each other, by a shared value and struggle. What I’m saying is sometimes we all need a helping hand, or maybe someone to help light that next step in your path and I want to do that. So when you read my blog know that this isn’t because CSO. It’s because we all need somebody and when there isn’t someone to help the world seems to be at its darkest.

So yeah, we were all put at the bottom. We’re all near the ledge, but just take a leap of faith and let your eagle wings spread,

Duylam