Author: carolinafuentes

I instantly bonded with everyone when I met the Caminos al Futuro cohort the day of our arrival! Although we had only met a couple of hours before, our conversations didn’t even stop when we managed to fit all 15 of us in an elevator!

Our connection became even stronger after we had our first lecture with Dr. Vaquera the following day.

As an introduction to the lecture, Dr. Vaquera showed us a list of percentages of the Hispanic population in different cities and we had to guess which percentage belonged to our city. Right away I knew which one was Brownsville: 94% Hispanic. I was shocked that others’ hometowns had as little as 6% Hispanic population! Sharing and reflecting on our experiences, I realized the differences that those numbers cause for our experiences as Latinos in the United States.

Every graph and statistic inspired different conversations about our personal connection to the lecture’s topic. I was especially intrigued by the language differences. While some of us speak Spanish every day with our family and friends, others struggle to find people to speak Spanish with. Some of us want to improve our English, while others want to improve their Spanish. And while some are encouraged to speak Spanish, others are encouraged not to.

We found that sharing experiences and reflections is a new way to connect with others regardless of the similarities and differences between us. All 15 of us had different stories to tell. I learned the value of our stories and the value of telling them ourselves instead of letting others tell them for us. We also found that one of the best ways to learn about the world, other places, and other cultures is through the stories that the people have to tell.

Our connection continuously strengthens through our conversations. I am excited about the conversations yet to come and all the future elevator rides with the cohort!

My journey to Caminos al Futuro began at 3 am on Sunday. Although I did not want to show it, I could feel the butterflies in my stomach. I did not show my nervousness because I did not want to make my mother more worried than she already was.  I boarded the plane and didn’t look back.

I had never been to D.C. I tried to gather as much information as I could from the people I knew and the only thing they told me was that it was VERY hot and humid. I did not think it could be as hot and humid as Texas, but I was wrong. I was greeted by the piercing sun and the overwhelming humidity. I have been here for a week and let me say - you get used to it.

My first day in D.C. I was in awe. I don’t typically like big cities, but I instantly fell in love with D.C. I got a small town feel even though I was in a city. On the drive to the Mount Vernon campus, I looked up to see the enormous trees that surrounded me. It was beautiful! As I settled in to my dorm, I had no idea what to expect the next day.

When I met the Caminos staff the next day, I immediately felt a sense of peace come over me. They made me feel safe and they were incredibly friendly. Not only was the staff amazing, but this year’s cohort is unbelievable. Everyone is an incredible person, and the work they do is outstanding. We have become a family, and we literally spend every possible minute we can together.

Spending Independence Day in our nation’s capital was truly a blessing. There was an overwhelming sense of pride and love for being an American, but not just any American - a Latino American who can make a change for the greater good. I cannot wait to see what other amazing things Caminos al Futuro has in store for me, especially to see what I will take back home and share with my community. All I can say is that this was definitely worth enduring the D.C. heat!