Kendrys V.

KENDRYS V.
Merrimack College

Home: Dominican Republic

“People in the city are willing to accept diversity and change and different perspectives”

Originally from the Dominican Republic, Kendries is one of the founders and president of the Latino Club at Merrimack, as well as actively involved in Club Asia and the Italian Club. “I’m really interested in diversity, and I am able to immerse myself in different cultures, as opposed to just the Dominican culture.”

When Kendrys steps off campus, he finds numerous opportunities to sate his cultural curiosity. “When I go to Boston, it’s lovely. You find everything there. All the restaurants you want, everything. I feel like people in the city are willing to accept diversity and change and different perspectives. All the students are open to you, and want to learn about you,” he says.” For those students who may be nervous about coming to school in Boston, Kendrys has this to say: “Here, there is una familia.”

Karen R.

KAREN R.
Wellesley College

Home: California

“Students don’t have to fit their identities into a neat little check box”

Identifying as mixed race, Karen felt she didn’t fit perfectly into any of the ethnicity options listed on her application, nor did she feel comfortable in many of the race-delineated minority student groups on campus. Luckily, she found Fusion, a Wellesley College group designed to facilitate discussions on campus about multicultural, multilingual, international and mixed-race issues, one of several mixed-race student groups at colleges and universities all around the Boston area. Here she found a community talking about issues of identity, perception and communication that she felt were unique to mixed-race students. “You could really feel empowered here,” she says. “I was able to say what I wanted to, but be in a safe place to do so.”

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Erin K.

ERIN K.
Emerson College

Home: Pennsylvania

“I feel safe in Boston”

"I’m not a city girl, but it¹s really easy to get around on the subway. The “T” is right outside of our dorm and we take it all the time. The other night it was late and we walked home through the city and it was lit up with lots of people around. I feel safe here."