Written by: Natalie Contini, Caminos al Futuro 2024
“Stressed” is the word to describe how I felt when I woke up. With only two full days left in the program, I got ready for the day reflecting on my time here-- the friends for life that I met and the once-in-a-lifetime experience we were lucky enough to be a part of. It is surreal to believe that I was able to spend even a small chunk of my summer here.
Pushing the stress away, I ran to Buff and Brew, the coffee shop on the Mount Vernon Campus. After grabbing a bagel and chai latte, we headed to the National Museum of African American History and Culture. This museum visit was extra special because we got to go before the museum opened and received a special tour from Dr. Ariana Curtis, a Curator of Latinx Studies. As she guided us through the lower three levels of the museum, centered around African American history spanning from 1400 to 2016, Dr. Curtis gave us details about the exhibition that went beyond what the artifacts and blurbs said. It was very cool to experience the museum without the crowds.
I cannot believe that so many of the things we did today are lasts. These three weeks have flown by. After lunch, we had a conversation about choosing the right college with Eunice Dollete, the Assistant Director for Cultural Programming and Social Justice Education at the GW Office of Diversity, Equity and Community Engagement. It was interesting to hear others' perspectives on what kind of college they wish to attend. Then, for the rest of class time, we worked on our Community Action Project and had our last one-on-one meetings with Executive Director Dr. Elizabeth Vaquera, Associate Director Trey Johnston, and Caminos Program Coordinator Naomi Falú-Guzman. I talked with Trey about my project and what tweaks to make in the last couple days before we present on Friday. After getting his input, I felt more confident about my project and the stressed feeling I had this morning seemed like a silly thought.
Lastly, to celebrate our last dinner together without parents, a few of us headed to Georgetown. We ended up at an Italian restaurant, which was a nice place to spend one of our last meals together. After three weeks away from home I, of course, am looking forward to having home-cooked meals again and sleeping in my bed, but not being able to talk to my fellow Caminos Scholars every day is a weird feeling I am not looking forward to. Spending nearly every moment together for almost a month has bonded us for life and I hope we remain in contact as we pursue our future endeavors. Caminos al Futuro has made a lasting impact on my life and I will never forget it.
Natalie Contini is a 2024 Caminos al Future Scholar. Natalie’s views are her own and not necessarily reflective of the Cisneros Institute.