I learned to survive at Columbia University by being myself and finding people who shared similar long-term goals and interests. It was hard being surrounded by a majority of people who identify as White because it was something I had not experienced in an academic setting. It was a major culture shock and took some time to adjust to. After some time, I became acquainted with a group of people who made me feel happy and helped me develop into an even greater professional and person.
Finding my community occurred naturally. One of my mutual friends that I graduated undergrad with introduced me to a group of people she became acquainted with during her summer courses at Columbia. We instantly hit it off. I was able to make connections with people in the different classes I was enrolled in, but I’m picky with who I consider a friend so that took me some time to develop strong relationships on my own.
Resources that helped me navigate the system included journaling, art, attending weekly therapy, and making time to spend with my friends and family. Those things provided me with a sense of grounding and prevented me from being too absorbed in my school work or school culture that perpetuates harm to students of color.
During my tenure with Columbia, I constantly challenged the status quo. At one of the first and only PROP classes shared with the Policy concentration, I shared my opinion on people of color paying for ancestry information. I said people of color with a family ancestry connected to the African diaspora should not have to pay for said services because we were forced into an exploitative labor system against our will and separated from our families intentionally. I was met with the eyes of a shocked audience after sharing my opinion. It alarmed me that my ideas shocked people, but it also made me feel like I made the right choice when deciding to attend Columbia for my graduate education. I felt like I had a responsibility to shake things up and enlighten people to see things from a different perspective - the perspective of a Afro-Latinx woman. I have also challenged professors who deemed it appropriate to ridicule me in front of the class as a teaching tool. I scheduled a mediation session between a dean, myself, and the educator. I felt what the professor had done was inappropriate and spoke to his lack of understanding and experience when working with students of color. I should never be used as an instrument for learning while consequently embarrassing me in front of my peers.
My advice for students who want to attend Columbia’s School of Social Work must be prepared to challenge popular belief. They must be willing to be silent in a classroom that expects you to constantly share your negative experiences as a Black person and how these systems negatively impact people of color. The information on these topics are out there - encourage people to find this information on their own and question their implicit bias. Remain true to yourself and the rest will follow suit.
One of the best moments I’ve shared was with my friends while completing homework and other assignments in the first floor computer lab. It was a mutual space where we could gather and just share our current experiences. It was a nice space to have and I am very thankful to have spent the majority of my time there with friends I hope to be involved with for the rest of my life.
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