Written by: Bella DeShayes, Caminos al Futuro 2019
Caminos al Futuro has truly been a life-changing experience for me. I know that may sound cliché or corny, but it really has been. To preface, my name is Bella DeShayes and I am from Cherry Hill, New Jersey. I go to a predominantly white private Catholic all-girls high school in Pennsylvania with very few Hispanic/Latina students. Now don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love my high school, but because there is a very small representation of Hispanic/Latina students. And because of this, I often feel as though I am not able to embrace or express my culture and identity as much as I should. One other reason it is difficult for me to express my culture is that I do not fit the image of how society identifies a “Latina.” My dad is from the United States and my mom is from Venezuela, but I often joke that my brother got all the “Latino” genes. He has dark skin and brown eyes, while I have light skin and green eyes. Because I look like this, every time I mention to someone I am Latina, I always get the standard “Oh, really?” or “I didn’t realize.” I always have to explain to them that my dad is from the U.S. and that’s why I look this way. In reality, though, there are so many Latinas that look like me and I shouldn’t have to prove my hispanidad.
Caminos al Futuro has been so life-changing because it is one of the first places I’ve felt like I truly belong. I was able to embrace my Venezuelan heritage and even make a Venezuelan friend! Something I had never done before. At the same time, I was able to learn more about cultures that are very different from my own through my classmates and in my classes. Before Caminos, I often felt that I wasn’t allowed to identify as a “Latina,” but now I am truly connected to my identity.
Aside from learning nonstop in our classes, we were also able to learn in different ways with much more hands-on experiences. For example, we were able to do things like go on a monuments tour to see more of D.C., go to congress and meet representatives, and attend the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute (CHLI) conference.
My favorite part of Caminos al Futuro is definitely all the people I have met along the way. My wonderful teachers Trey Johnston and Doctora Vaquera have made a profound impact on the way I learn and I will take that back with me when I return to my school and eventually I will be able to take those skills with me to college. Not only did I have amazing teachers and mentors, I was also able to meet several people who are doing all of the things I am interested in. While all the people we met were very inspirational, the most inspirational people I’ve met were those 14 other students who stood by my side throughout this whole experience. Whether it was having dance parties in my room with my roommates, or crying to my other friends in the program when I found out my grandfather passed away, Caminos al Futuro was a constant support system for me. I will always hold this experience in a very special place in my heart, and I could never thank all of the people in it enough for all they have done for me.
Bella DeShayes is a Caminos al Futuro 2019 scholar. Bella’s views are her own and not necessarily reflective of the Cisneros Institute.