#1

No parents, no teachers to hassle you, school for a few hours, and my own place (almost).
Absolute FREEDOM.

As my high school graduation approached, I found myself wanting to turn back the clock, if only for a few more minutes. I grew up in New Jersey and moved to NC my sophomore year of high school. At first, I hated being here. It was so different from everything I had ever known and I'd left all of my friends and family behind, but I after a little while I found myself loving my school and everyone around me. I ending up living three amazing years alongside amazing people, and near the end, I didn't want to leave all of the friends I made, the seniority I'd established, nor our Friday nights out together. Graduating was definitely bittersweet because I was so excited for college but at the same time, a little sad about leaving my high school life. I knew though that there was a lot more waiting out there for me. Soon I'd be trading my parent's place, for my own (sort of because they are still paying my rent haha), and instead of Friday nights, I'd have Thursday nights! Still, while looking forward, I kept looking back. I thought I was ready to leave home, but the quicker my leave approached, the more I worried about the transition.

Two days ago, those worries disappeared. I am so glad that I came across the UTOP program. Like many other first generation students, I didn't have anyone to really guide me through the college process. Like many other immigrants in  the U.S, my parents came to this country to work and provide for their families. They didn't have the opportunities or the means to attend a university and it's just the way the cards of life were handed to them. They have however, throughout my entire life, done everything possible to give my sisters and I the means necessary to take that opportunity. Since my older sister didn't take advantage of that, when my Senior year came around it was up to me to get everything done to get into the school I wanted to go to. It was a pretty difficult situation since it was the first time anyone in my family had gone through that process. I am so thankful that I have the members and mentors of UTOP on my side the rest of the way. As minority students, most of us come from pretty similar backgrounds so we can relate and help each other up the ladder to success. In the last two days I have felt and experienced a ton of support from everyone around me; the mentors, my friends, and the instructors working with us. Even though we don't always remember each other's names, we always remember the name of our family. It's kind of weird to me that I find myself already calling people I've known for two days my family because it usually takes a while before I really let people in to that extent but in this group I already feel all of the support that I feel from my family back home. I wouldn't trade this experience for the world.

Writing has always been a forte of mine but there is always room to grow. During my summer session English class I hope to gain knowledge on new methods of writing and pre-writing. I have always been pretty good with the creative aspects of my writing. In general, I am a pretty creative person so coming up with ideas for new topics isn't a very difficult thing to do, however, when it comes to organizing my thoughts beforehand I have always struggled. It always comes together at the end but my lack of organization makes for a long writing process. I know that through this class and the help of my mentors  I will be able to make improvements.

UTOP will not only serve as an educational resources but also as a support group. With the support I hope to always have from my brothers and sisters of UTOP, I know that I can succeed in anything that I do. Right now I am really excited to go through the rest of my UTOP experience. I am a little nervous though about my classes, just because it is very different than high school. I know that I need to up my levels of responsibility to leave the summer with the 4.0 GPA that I want. It is a little nerve wracking to think of the work I have ahead of me but I'm anxious to see the results.

As I embark on my college journey I find myself asking a lot of questions. I don't like to think too far ahead into the future because I'm one of those people who doesn't like to jump into the unknown with both feet. I'm still a little unsure of what is exactly that I am doing. I was accepted into UNC Charlotte in the Fall, and have changed my major four different times already. As of right now, my intended major is pre-biology which I have decided is the best route for me to go since the studies are general and I am sure I want to go into the medical field.

My goal in life is to use my education as a tool to help others. People in our country are very fortunate to have the things that we have. I am very guilty of not always appreciating the things God has blessed me with. I hope to someday go on mission trips, forget about myself for a while, and give to those who are need.

-Giselle Hernandez