Growing up as a daughter of immigrants and a first generation college student, my parents always reminded me that my education is something no one can take away from you.
I’ve carried that lesson with me throughout my life, and it is one of the reasons I continued pushing my education even when my path didn’t look the way I expected.
Like many students, I had a picture in my mind of what my college experience would look like. I was fortunate enough to be accepted into my first choice university. When financial circumstances and other life factors made that impossible, I enrolled at my local community college.
At first, it felt like a detour from the path I had planned, a setback. Looking back now, I can honestly say it has become one of the greatest opportunities of my life.
Community college didn’t just allow me to continue my education. It introduced me to people and perspectives different from my own that challenged me to grow in ways I didn’t expect.
A big part of that growth has come through the student leadership development program (SLDP) and a recent leadership retreat.
Going into SLDP, I expected to learn the traditional leadership skills, communication, teamwork, and how to lead others. While I certainly gained those skills, what surprised me the most was how much I learned about myself.
Each activity throughout the program encouraged me to reflect on my values, my whys, and the experiences that shaped who I am. It challenged me to ask myself why I want to lead and what kind of leader I hope to become.
For me that meant reflecting on my goals and values, while confronting the imposter syndrome I’ve often experienced as a first-generation college student.
Instead of seeing those experiences as obstacles, I began to see them as strengths that allow me to better understand and connect with others.
One of the biggest shifts for me came through the people I met. This year’s cohort brought together 37 student leaders representing 25 community colleges across North Carolina, giving me the opportunity to connect with students whose experiences were both different from and remarkably similar to my own. Some were early college students, others were GED graduates, parents returning to school, veterans, and fellow first-generation students. On paper, our lives look very different, but the more we talked, the more I realized how much we truly had in common. We share many of the same hopes, challenges, and questions about the future.
Those conversations change the way I see community college. What I once thought of as my second choice has become one of my greatest strengths.
Community college brings together people with different experiences, perspectives, and stories in a way that creates meaningful opportunities to learn from one another. I’ve always believed education was about gaining knowledge, but SLDP has reminded me that some of the most valuable lessons don’t come from a textbook.
They come from the people standing beside you.
Those conversations didn’t end when the retreat ended. Just this past month, I met up with one of the students I met through the program to go hiking. It reminded me that the relationships built through SLDP are real. The program doesn’t just teach leadership. It creates a community of people who continue encouraging and learning from one another long after the retreat ends.
I came to SLDP thinking leadership was about finding my voice. I left realizing it’s just as much about learning to hear the voice of others.
As I continue my education and I pursue a career in medicine, I know I’ll carry these lessons with me.
Every patient has a story just as every student has a story.
SLDP has strengthened my ability to listen, understand different perspectives, and value each person’s unique experiences.
I know these skills will help me become not only a better leader but a better healthcare provider, and someone who can make a positive difference in my community.
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