Editorial Note from the Editor-in-Chief:
These submissions are from students and community members who have lived experiences here at Westminster College and beyond. I thank these students for their courage and commitment to sharing their experiences with us and the broader community. Please take time to read these submissions and consider them further. Each piece sheds light on a different topic. If any of these pieces have inspired students, faculty or anyone in the community to write their own Are You Listening submission, we have opened our online collection to include all submissions at any time. Please submit pieces to forumeditor@westminstercollege.edu. On an ending note, a more personal note: please be mindful, compassionate and open to learning.
“Nunca te rindes” explained my mother as I first stepped onto American soil, leaving behind a piece of me in my home country.
“Nunca te rindes” explained my mother when I realized that my hair did not match the gold locks of Barbie
“Nunca te rindes” explained my mother when I was made fun of because my skin did not sparkle like the snow on a sunny day.
“Nunca te rindes” explained my mother as I realized that the only thing that made me unique, to people, was not my brains but the color of my skin.
“Nunca te rindes” explained my mother as she worked late nights so that I could carry out the American dream.
“Nunca te rindes” explained my mother when I realized that even though this place is big, finding similar ME’s is hard.
“Nunca te rindes” explained my mother as I noticed that because of my background I had to work twice as hard to show I was worthy.
“Nunca te rindes” explained my mother as I wondered why few looked like me in school.
“Nunca te rindes” explained my mother as my brown eyes shed tears of hurt for my fellow people that would not have the opportunities I did.
“Nunca te rindes” explained my mother as I walked on stage for my high school graduation, holding the hands of my parent’s dreams of being successful
“Nunca te rindes” explained my mother when I got accepted to college after she didn’t get the opportunity to do so.
“Nunca te rindes” I told MYSELF looking into my brown eyes in the mirror, because after all your work its time to be heard.
Never Giving up means opening doors for the soft spoken to scream, and for the brown eyes to state “Nunca te rindes.”
