Nourishing My Roots in College
Trips to Thailand
I have been lucky to visit my maternal grandparents in southern Thailand every few years since I was a baby. They were born and raised in Trang, near famous islands like Phuket and Krabi, and lived in the United States for about thirty years before moving back to Thailand when my mother was in college. Staying in touch with them has been a great way to connect with my nonwhite heritage, which was a challenge while growing up in a ninety-eight percent white town on the South Shore of Massachusetts.
Expanding My Horizons
When I visit Thailand, I’m reminded that the world isn’t ninety-eight percent white, and it’s comforting to be surrounded by people who look like me. This feeling is why the University of Massachusetts at Amherst was a great choice for me. Its student population is much more diverse than my hometown, where microaggressions sometimes competed for my attention in school.
The campus offers many affinity clubs, such as the Thai Student Association, the Asian American Association, and three Asian American sororities and fraternities. There’s also a renowned Ethnic Studies department named after W.E.B. Du Bois, a native of Massachusetts. I feel confident in my academic environment, among educated peers who celebrate differences and all cultures.
A Future with Perspective
This supportive environment is why my college experience is so important to my cultural identity. I know my college life is somewhat sheltered and doesn’t reflect the greater “real world,” but I’m learning the tools and knowledge I need to thrive in a world that isn’t always so enlightened. As a Public Health and French double major, I’m also getting in touch with the French side of my identity and hope to one day study abroad in a Francophone country.
My ultimate goal is to pursue a public health career, perhaps in medical device sales in France. I feel blessed to be at a large public university where the student population is so diverse. In just my first two years, exposure to a variety of people has given me more perspective than I could have imagined, preparing me for a future with a global point of view.
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