Jennifer is a member of the 2014-15 College Advising Corps at Brown. The College Advising Corps’ mission is to serve first generation low-income minority students within the Providence Public High School District and ensure that they are provided access to the resources and preparation to apply to a four year university. Jennifer is currently serving her year at the Corps’ newest host site; Providence Career and Technical Academy, its only partnership with a vocational high school.

At PCTA, where I serve as the College Adviser, I keep a few items in my office to keep myself grounded: middle school pictures, a Brandeis mug, and a Guatemalan flag. I also keep flyers around from Youth Pride Inc. (a local LGBT drop in center), New Urban Arts (a local drop in arts center), and a College Visions hoodie. All of these are programs I was involved with in high school. I consider these items to be symbolic of my journey. They are meant to be shared, to prove that I would not be here today without the help of various community non-profits and mentors that supported me along the way.

As intended, these items bring up many questions and reactions in my office. Everything is fair game. “Miss, you went to Bridgham Middle School?”, “Miss, You’re GUATEMALAN?”, and “Miss, are you gay? But you’re Guatemalan!”

I often share stories with students about spending time in another country as a child, having to learn English through ESL classes, and - yes - the scary feat of having to come out to immigrant parents in high school. We also talk about growing up in Federal Hill, moving to Olneyville and skateboarding in Silver Lake and getting chimi’s on the South Side (but only from Johny’s Chimi truck). Then the inevitable “Stuck Rhode Islander” question comes up “Miss, you were able to leave this state, why would you come back?”

I find the students’ curiosity hysterical, and a great opportunity to talk about those questions they otherwise might dismiss.

This curiosity does not confine itself to the school. Last week my co-worker Belisa Santiago and I led a FASFA workshop for student involved with Young Voices, a Providence-based student advocacy group. There, a student’s eyes glittered when she learned we shared the same first name and both attended Classical High School.

When I said to her “Don’t tell me you’re Guatemalan as well?”, she exclaimed “WHAT!!??” as she fanned herself. “AND you went to Brown!” she screamed. “No,” I laughed, “Brandeis. I work for Brown”.  

“OMG!!  #GOALS!!” she cheered with her friend. I couldn’t control my laughter.

After the event she joined her group of friends to flood me with questions regarding my family, where they’re from, how long they’ve been here and how financial aid comes into play with immigrant parents. They felt safe; they felt hope, and I felt inspired. 

These are the moments I cherish as a College Adviser, that make this work so rewarding. And they happen quite often. I get to pay it forward and be a face that my students can relate to. I can only hope that this makes their journey a little less isolating. It is incredible to witness my time as a young person growing up in Providence finally coming full circle now that I’m an adult. I explain this to my students and they pretend to understand. 

Perhaps in a few years they will have taken my place, speaking to the next generation. At the very least, I am planting seeds and am anxious to watch them grow.