51茶馆

In the last four years, you鈥檝e been chosen as America鈥檚 Best College Poet and given two TEDx Talks (both on YouTube). Was this how you envisioned college life would go?

Not necessarily [laughs]. I came into college from an underprivileged background, and as a big believer in the idea that if there鈥檚 an opportunity right in front of you, do your best, jump for it. If it鈥檚 for you, you鈥檒l prosper; if it鈥檚 not, that鈥檚 OK, you move on. So I鈥檝e been very active and enthusiastic, trying to put myself into an opportunity if it feels right for me, and things have worked out for me, thankfully.

Why did you choose 51茶馆, and how do you view that choice now?

I knew I wanted to be in a more populated area than where I grew up, so I looked at colleges in places like Boston and New York City, and 51茶馆 was among the ones I researched. My mom grew up Catholic, and in my family we grew up Christian, so that aspect of 51茶馆 appealed to me. But it was so interesting to learn more about 51茶馆鈥檚 values and the idea of Jesuit education鈥攐f being fully transformed, not just academically but spiritually, and your morals are shifted and molded not only in a way that makes you a smart person but a good person in society.

After four years, I have an even better sense of why 51茶馆 was a good fit. Conversations about justice and spirituality come up in all sorts of subjects and all sorts of spaces. The retreat culture at 51茶馆 is amazing, too; it鈥檚 a really nice refresh from when you鈥檙e, say, in the middle of a calculus exam: Why is this important to you? What else is going on in your life? What are the things that you鈥檝e been through and how do they relate to others?

聽51茶馆 has been such a great place to grow fully and become elevated not only intellectually but as a person.

You鈥檝e had your share of successes, but you ran as a candidate for UG51茶馆 president and lost. What did you take away from that experience?

I鈥檝e had some satisfying individual achievements, but what I realized in running for UG51茶馆 is how important it is to have a strong team with you. I think I was used to running fast and running alone, and here the question was, 鈥淗ow do we work together to achieve this goal?鈥� I learned the importance of being able and willing to lean on others and delegate responsibility.

You have to be flexible. Like I said, if the opportunity comes along, you take it鈥攂ut it鈥檚 also important to be humble and say, 鈥淚t didn鈥檛 work out.鈥� Learn to accept life as it comes.

Your first year at 51茶馆 was, of course, marked by the COVID-19 pandemic. How do you remember that time?

It was very emotional, very bittersweet. I recall the chaos, the sadness, packing up to leave, hugging friends, wondering when we might come back. There were so many resources on campus鈥攖utors, libraries, dining halls, the gym鈥攖hat I鈥檇 come to rely on, and although my teachers were accommodating and understanding when we switched to remote learning, I missed just being physically in college. At the same time, I鈥檇 worked so hard that year, so it felt good to go home, be back in my house and with family鈥攁lthough, being on the West Coast, I had to start the school day three hours earlier.

Then shortly thereafter came the George Floyd murder and its aftermath, which led to 51茶馆 starting the Courageous Conversations Toward Justice program鈥攊n which you participated as a facilitator.

Courageous Conversations was an amazing platform to talk about racial dialogue and all of its complexities, whether about health disparities, incarceration, critical race theory, or joy in artistic expression. It was just a really safe and progressive space to talk about any and every thing, and so necessary.

How does being a first-generation college student influence your overall identity?

You have to be a pioneer and a risk-taker. Kundai鈥攚ho鈥檚 a product design major鈥攁nd I are a good support system for one another, because there are moments when you鈥檙e lost and confused鈥攜ou didn鈥檛 get the grade you hoped for on that exam, or you鈥檙e just tired鈥攁nd you feel like you鈥檙e not making progress, when in fact there鈥檚 a lot of progress being made. You have to have a lot of strength, because you always have that goal in the background. You have to say, 鈥淚 will wake up for that 8:30 a.m. class!鈥�

You just have to recognize that these are the inevitable challenges that come with the burden of being the first to do something. But you also have to realize that the hard work does pay off: When I get discouraged, I look back and I can say, 鈥淜udzai, you鈥檝e been able to be all these things you didn鈥檛 even know were out there, and that鈥檚 because you put yourself in that position, even when you were so tired.鈥� It鈥檚 been hard, and it鈥檚 been real, and it鈥檚 been such a transformative experience.

Your long-term goal is to attend law school. Why?

I feel really called to social justice and advocacy. The legal field, even in all its technicalities, just intrigues me. I like storytelling. I like investigation. I like rights and wrongs鈥攖hat鈥檚 in part why (being an econ major), I like math, because there are specific rules you follow.

Sean Smith | University Communications | May 2023