Taking Up Space: Being Black and First-Gen at a PWI

It’s Black History Month, and while the campus flyers are out and the panel invites are rolling in, the truth of the matter is this: I carry this identity every single day, not just in February. Being Black, first-gen, genderqueer (and so many more intersecting...

New Year, Same Me (and that’s Okay)

It’s the start of the new year, and honestly? I’m not interested in becoming a “new me.” I know this is the season where everyone starts posting goals and vision boards and the “new year, new me!” captions. I get the appeal, as there’s something comforting about the...

End-of-Semester Survival Guide: Finals and Growth

It’s finals season, and I’m holding it together with sheer willpower, manifestation, a RedBull, and my zillionth cup of tea. The library’s packed, the group chats are dry, and every conversation starts with “How much sleep did you get?” followed by mutual dead-eyed...

Midterms and Fall Break

It’s November, and I’m tired in that way that doesn’t always show up on your face, but sits in your chest. The kind of tiredness where your brain is full but foggy. Where you’re behind on everything and somehow still doing too much.  Midterms came and went, and...

Freshman Year Tips

Hola!  I am beyond excited to write my first post! (It’s ironic, isn’t it, since this is the “I’m First blog”). But, on a more serious note, let me introduce myself. My name is Aurora Sanchez, a sophomore at the Catholic University of America in...

Balancing Burnout: How to Catch Yourself Before You Crash

It’s only early October, but I already feel like I’m dragging myself through the days. I feel like this is the part nobody really talks about… like how the semester doesn’t need to be halfway over to feel like you’re already drowning. Everyone keeps saying “pace...