Personal Statement

Western Civilization class changed my life, but not how I would’ve expected. It was during that class that I woke up on the floor surrounded by curious eyes, and with a pounding headache. Later, I found out it was because of a non-cancerous brain tumor. I’m telling this story because I feel lucky. I had health insurance to cover the expensive surgery needed to remove it. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case for everyone. That experience is why I feel so strongly that everyone has access to affordable medicine and education. As the president of NECC’s Students for a Democratic Society, we meet to discuss and think about solutions to societal issues like systemic racism, income inequality and climate change. As a Journalism student, I know journalism can be used as a tool to assure transparency in the way our institutions and governments operate. That’s why in 2019, I went to the Massachusetts statehouse for Community College Advocacy Day. Alongside fellow students, we represented NECC’s student base to talk directly with state politicians. We talked to them about how higher education is sometimes prohibitively expensive, and how that can force people to choose between their education and things like brain surgery.