100: Challenging my own privilege

When the pandemic first struck, there was no doubt that I was in a position of privilege; I was young and healthy, still able to attend college, and financially secure. I read online stories about people who were going through a great deal of pain and thanked God that I couldn’t relate to their plight. I was secure.

Fast forward to almost a year and a half later, and, as much as it pains me to say it, I feel ignorant reflecting on my own naivety. When you’re going through life focusing on getting through one day at a time for soo long, it’s often hard to look up and accept that your world is crashing around you. Whether you’re saving yourself from the heartbreak of reality or trying not to hurt your own ego like I was, it’s never easy to accept the fact that I was becoming a statistic.

Its been almost 2 years that I haven’t seen my family, I am part of the graduating cohort that may not be able to find work when we are done due to the current state of the economy, and I’ve had to start working 4 jobs online to support myself during this time.

From waking up in a fully functional home, I am currently in what I call the Bermuda triangle of life; a continuous cycle of balancing school and work, laundry and bills. I am becoming the person in the stories I would previously read without fear, but I am also soo much more. If I could send one message to the people reading this it would be that you are not defined by the situation you’re in. I am a struggling student but I am also resilient, I am working day and night to better myself in a world that feels ruthless and unforgiving on the best of days. I am trying and I know I am not alone.