Written by: Sheyla Gomez- Argueta, Caminos al Futuro 2024
While walking up the hill to the 8:45am Vex shuttle with some fellow scholars, I quickly realized that it was our last full day together. When we got to the Foggy Bottom campus, we headed to Point Chaud Crepes for a quick meal before class. After working for hours straight, we took our lunch break. Some went to say goodbye to their beloved Shenkman Hall, while others, like me, spent our last lunch on campus at Duke’s Grocery for a burger.
The work continued as we moved up and down the classroom, cutting, gluing and piecing our posters together. Finally, we got to see our families for the first time in three weeks, a moment we had been looking forward. It was a bittersweet, though, because it also made it official—we were leaving tomorrow. These past three weeks have fostered life-changing relationships, experiences and memories that will last a lifetime. Whether it was getting ready together in the hallway mirror, listening to music in the basement, or exploring the White House, we did everything together.
To wrap up our last night as one big happy family, we made our way to Gong Cha and enjoyed one last cup of boba to finish off the day strong. As soon as we got to our dorms, we put music on the speaker and enjoyed our last moments together by packing our bags. How did we manage to get our huge bags to the Vex shuttle? No one really knows. But what we do know is that Caminos 2024 is leaving with thirteen new great friends.
Sheyla Gomez- Argueta is a 2024 Caminos al Future Scholar. Sheyla’s views are her own and not necessarily reflective of the Cisneros Institute.