Table of Contents
A Sense of Belonging
The Great Financial Aid Misconception
A Sense of Belonging
By Zulay Mateo '02
As I walk away from the new athletic facilities, I stop and turn around. I can clearly see how much this University has grown in the last four years. This growth brings a smile to my face, a smile that quickly turns into a nostalgic stare. I realize that my time here is at an end. My four years have come and gone in a heartbeat. But I can't complain because I have enjoyed and taken full advantage of that heartbeat.
Four years ago, as I stepped onto the St. Lawrence University campus I doubted whether I would survive, not because I wasn't prepared but because it seemed like I didn't belong. As I walked around campus or attended classes I found a distinct lack of diversity. Sometimes I was the only student of color in my class. That experience was unusual for me because I came from A. E. Stevenson High School in the Bronx, where my teacher was the only white person in the room. This insecurity didn't last long, because I was determined to take advantage of the opportunity that St. Lawrence was offering me.
But first I needed to forget about the cold weather and the snow. And I needed to understand the responsibility that came with my beautiful skin color. Sometimes my professors and classmates believed that I was an expert in race relations, just because of my skin color. I also had to explain to some of my teammates that my accent derives from my speaking English as a second language, not because I live in New York City. I certainly remember one occasion when I had to prove to my coach that I was like any other athlete; because of my skin color she did not believe she could approach me as she approached the other players.
By the time I returned to campus after my academic semester through St. Lawrence's exchange program with Fisk University, I was able to comprehend the responsibility that my skin color gave me. That understanding made it easier for me to adjust to St. Lawrence and to let St. Lawrence adjust to me. During my four years at St. Lawrence I studied in Spain and at Fisk, was part of the intercollegiate volleyball team, served on Thelmo, and joined AHORA (A Hispanic Organization Raising Awareness) and many committees. I was also for two semesters the Intercultural House coordinator, in charge of about 30 students and responsible for creating programs for the residents as well as others on campus. I was also a proud Big Sister to a young North Country boy; not spending time with my little brother will be something that I will miss greatly.
I also had the opportunity to form close, long-lasting friendships with people who were totally different from me. I cherish these friends because they have seen me grow and experience many things in these last four years. I depart from St. Lawrence University with a truly bittersweet taste; I know that it is time to start a new chapter in my young life, and as
I do I recall some of the hardships, but I will also never forget the amazing people in this institution who supported me, without whom my journey would have been so much more
difficult.After heading home to New York City upon graduating, Spanish and government double-major Zulay Mateo spent the summer working at Commerce Bank and preparing to take the U.S. Foreign Services exam in the fall.