Written by: Fatima Figueroa, Caminos al Futuro 2019
Hello, my name is Fatima Figueroa and I am a Mexican-American student spending my summer in Washington, DC. Although this is not my first time in DC, I can confidently say that it is anything but average. There is something special about fifteen Hispanic high school students spending every second of the day together for three weeks. This can be seen as I describe my first Saturday in the Caminos al Futuro program. Today was the first day we got to freely go into the city.
I woke up today at 10 am with the expectation that I would be going to the National Zoo. After getting ready, I went to brunch with my friends and was notified that I would be going to the National Museum of the American Indian. Initially, this bothered me because it would mean I would be separated from my friends but I was excited to see what I had learned about Native American history in the classroom to be brought to life.
Fortunately, I was able to meet up with my friends at the National Zoo later in the day. Finally, my moment to meet the mythical panda! However, after several hours of walking and exploring, we sadly discovered there was no panda. Nevertheless, the National Zoo was full of laughter, friends, and animals, and is a definite must when visiting our nation’s Capital.
For dinner, we decided on a local restaurant, Paragon Thai, which was an absolute dream. Afterward, we grabbed dessert at Cold Stone. I got my usual order, but the experience was anything but the usual. After collectively breaking our heads deciding on the best metro route to return to campus, we had decided, two stops and a 9-minute walk. We headed out, making sure no one was left behind and walked to the Metro. They say that when it rains it pours…and it was pouring. Trying my best, vision blurred due to rain, to navigate the group back to safety, we ran down the streets in search of the only important thing: the bus stop. After finding safety in an open building, passing trees and arriving at our destination, we had missed the bus! The 9-minute walk turned into a fifteen-minute run. No, it was more like a fifteen-minute voyage.
Never have I felt closer to any fifteen people. Never have I laughed so much in six days. Never have I ran through the streets of D.C. in the pouring rain. Most importantly, never have I experienced the events I have today. Today was a rollercoaster ride, but there is no other group I would have wished to spend it with.
Fatima Figueroa is a Caminos al Futuro 2019 scholar. Fatima’s views are her own and not necessarily reflective of the Cisneros Institute.