Written by: Alexia Zelada, Caminos al Futuro 2023
Hi, I am Alexia! I am grateful for the opportunity to spend the next couple weeks here at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. with my peers!
Coming into this program, I was a little nervous about feeling left out and not fitting in with the group. However, we all clicked the first day that we met, and became very close in a short amount of time. We spend every meal, class, and block of free time together, mostly walking in the hot weather at the Foggy Bottom campus. It is VERY hot! After our long days together, we hang out in the game room to have fun. Here, we build community and are always laughing since a lot of us are not professionals in these games!
I have made many great memories in just one week. I have seen the beautiful architecture and design of the national monuments and the National Museum of African American History and Culture (not to mention the hours of walking!).
This group of friends never fails to make me smile and laugh. There is never low energy in the room with my cohort. Even after long days of lectures and walks around the hot city and campus, we are always energetic and never tired.
For the next few weeks, I am looking forward to spending time with my new friends. I have never felt this close to twelve people in four days. This program is not like any other summer program I have ever attended. Caminos al Futuro is an experience I wish that every Latino could have in the summer. This first week has felt like a rollercoaster, and there is no other group of friends I would have spent it with.
Alexia Zelada is a Caminos al Futuro 2023 scholar. Alexia’s views are her own and not necessarily reflective of the Cisneros Institute.