During my first semester at Boston College, I was fortunate to discover the Goals, Purpose, and Success (GPS) Retreat. This retreat offered a much-needed break from the demands of coursework, providing first-year graduate students with over 24 hours to step away from their busy schedules. It became a transformative experience, allowing me to connect with fellow students from diverse fields of study who shared similar life experiences and aspirations.

Beginning graduate school was intimidating, coming into so many new environments at once. I'm so glad that, in spite of the intimidation, I made an effort to participate in the various social/networking events BC generates for students. I had to make concerted efforts to attend such events and to face social anxieties more than I often wanted to, but the payoff of friendships like the ones I've developed here cannot be underestimated.

There have been a lot of great events and programming since I've started here at BC, but I'd say one of the most impactful was attending the Grad Ball! It was my first year as the Graduate Arts and Sciences Association (GASA) President and being a Graduate Student Association (GSA) Senator; I had previously heard about Grad Ball but didn't know much about it. It was wonderful and so amazing to see all my fellow GSA leaders’ hard work throughout the year come together! The food was great, the venue was beautiful, and I had such a great time dancing with friends and meeting new people.

An impactful event during my first semester was the Graduate Students of Color Welcome at the Lynch School. It was a wonderfully supportive community, where I heard others express their appreciation and desire for spaces like these. This inspired me to take the initiative to serve as a graduate student leader and foster shared spaces and community for graduate students across the Boston College campus.