Wildcat Social Series

That day, I began to understand all of the times my father would say, 'watch your speed' and my mother would say, “be home soon,” and all the prayers from my grandmother that made it very clear that this was bigger than just their love for me. It was their love for all of us. It was because they understood the harsh reality of systemic racism that we have to deal with every single day. As hard as it was, I began to face the reality that George Floyd could very well have been me.

To most, it is a difficult task trying to understand something we cannot see or touch, let alone comprehend. In the case of mental health, if there is one thing I learned, it is that a positive mindset is the foundation for optimal happiness. We are not always able to control our circumstances; however, we are always able to control our reaction to the situation.

Take the time to become an active participant of the democracy that was made for you. The power truly is in our hands, so long as we make sure to use it.

My beautiful home and the entire state of California are tired of living in fear every year when wildfire season comes. I cannot describe the feeling of having to go through my home and decide which things are going to be left behind. Thank you to all the firefighters and first responders back home for putting your lives at risk every single day while fighting these massive wildfires. Please educate yourself on the issues regarding climate change and help make this world a better place now, and for the future generations.

Being a part of Daemen Athletics is more than just winning games and competing for championships. As student-athletes here, we are encouraged to develop ourselves in a well-rounded manner, and shown ways to do so. We are being set up for success beyond our four years here and challenged to exceed the student-athlete label.

As an international student and executive board member of SAAC, I feel a great sense of obligation to pay forward all the support that I received throughout my time here. I will continue to advocate for more progress toward making the Daemen community more diverse and inclusive as a whole, in order to preserve the quality of the college experience for current and future students.

In my opinion, posting a black screen on Instagram and reposting Instagram posts on your story is not enough to make a change. The answer lies in educating yourself on what white privilege and racism are, and having the self-awareness to ask yourself, does this apply to me; do I do this; can I be better; what can I do to end racism and white privilege? The only way to change the way you think is to be honest with yourself.