Highlights of Summer 2012

My cozy apartment in Ithaca, NY

I subletted my sister's apartment this summer, and her four roommates became mine when she took off for her new job in DC. They all graduated this past May.

This summer was different from the last couple of semesters when I lived in the dorm, more so because I had no meal plan and I lived off-campus. No meal plan = come up with the means to feed yourself. I didn’t know how to cook. You wouldn’t count Raman noodles, canned tuna, and warming up already made hamburgers in the microwave as cooking. But by the end of the summer I was cooking my own barbecued chicken and making pancakes from scratch. This was a huge accomplishment for me, especially because I never wanted to help my mother in the kitchen (which I really regret), so I had to learn how to cook on my own.

Other great aspects of the summer included having a 4th of July get together with friends, watching Spiderman 4, becoming obsessed with "The Office" thanks to Netflix and one of my housemates, visiting Buttermilk Falls here in Ithaca, and meeting Bill Nye during Cornell Reunion Weekend!

With 5 of the interns at Viva Taqueria in the Commons

Ithaca, NY

The biggest highlight of the summer, without a doubt, was getting to know and bonding with the seven other interns through the Cornell Farmworker Program. I’m sure they now all think of me as the giggling idiot, because I would laugh at everything. I don't think I’d laughed harder than when Hannah started singing Destiny’s Child out of the blue when we passed a three-legged dog on the street, “I’m a survivor, I’m gonna make it!” or than when Elsa had remarked that the eagles in México were “going down” (decreasing in number). "Going down" has more than one meaning in English.

I originally had other plans for this summer but I’m glad they didn’t work out because I would’ve never been able to meet and work with the other interns. We were a diverse group, with 4 Cornell undergrads, 1 Cornell grad student, 1 from Ithaca College, 1 graduate from Michigan State, and another who’s husband is a Cornell grad student. Everyone has been incredible and contributed something valuable to the team. Being able to bond with them coupled with the meaningful work we were doing made the experience an amazing one.

Farmworkers play a large role in U.S. society - Cornell Farmworker Program Summer 2012 Internship

I will not have another meal again without stopping to think about where it came from. This summer, I interned through the Cornell Farmworker Program (CFP) for 9 weeks. Every time someone asked me last semester, “What are you doing this summer?” and I’ve responded with “I’m working for the Cornell Farmworker Program,” I often got blank stares, awkward silences, confused or uninterested looks, and sometimes even chuckles. I think they thought that I would be out in the fields, planting crops, milking cows, or picking berries. But my experience was so much more than that. As an intern through CFP, I worked with 7 other students to address farmworker needs and improve the living and working conditions of these workers and their families.

Why should we care about farmworkers?
Farm labor is one of the most dangerous occupations in the U.S. Workers are at an increased risk for injury and illness, and they face low pay for long hours, poor housing and working conditions, exposure to pesticides, discrimination, and a decline of mental health. They make significant contributions to U.S. agriculture by cultivating foods that many of us are eating every day, but are unaware both of where it comes from and the intense physical demands and dangers the laborers inevitably face.

Aside from the unsafe environment of their work, most farmworkers live in fear of the migration authorities. The majority are undocumented immigrants from México, Guatemala, and other Central American countries who have come here to find jobs to support their families back at home. There is better economic opportunity here. I have been exposed to and become more aware of the xenophobic sentiments of many Americans (through the Mexican movies I watch, the "Latinos in the U.S." course I took last semester, and my own conversations with these farmworkers). They are human beings, but have been dismissed and ignored by our society. It’s horrible to see that racialist attitudes are still rampant in this day and age. The term “Mexican”, for example, had become synonymous with “fence-hopper”, “illegal immigrant”, and “criminal", and though not as pervasively used as before, is still being perpetuated in some contexts, including the political arena. Fortunately, we find that more and more people (particularly the younger generations) are transitioning away from conservative, insensitive attitudes about our country's immigrants.

Cornell Farmworker Program Internship
I was lucky to be a part of a diverse team; there were 8 of us, but all from different levels of education, nationalities, backgrounds, and experiences. I’m so glad to have been able to work with the 7 others for the past eight weeks on this project of improving the farmworker condition throughout New York state.

As interns through CFP, we:

• completed many readings on the farmworker condition
• provided ESL instruction on farms
• conducted interviews in Spanish to assess the workers' needs (my favorite)
• transcribed and translated these interviews
• began to analyze and code the data
• lead Focus Groups to gain insight on their working conditions and improve workplace relations between them and their employers (the farmers)
• conducted Emergency Planning Workshops to inform them of their rights as workers in the U.S.
• complete weekly journal entries reflecting on our internship activities to track our learning progress

I chose to become an intern through CFP because of my initial experiences on the farm with Friends of Farmworkers (FoF) the last couple of semesters. The farmworkers’ knowledge of little to no English decreases their means for self-advocacy and involvement in the broader community. FoF addresses this issue by training volunteers to teach English as a Second Language (ESL) on local farms for an hour each week throughout Tompkins County and the state.

“Hace más de dos años desde que he visto a mi hija.” One worker once told me that he hadn’t seen his own daughter in over 2 years. Can you imagine that? Living in a country where the language and surroundings are unfamiliar, only being able to inconsistently contact your family from over 3,000 miles away by telephone, not knowing when you can return home after “saving up enough money” (which is being eaten up by taxes, paying back loans you borrowed from family/friends to get here, buying food and other necessities, etc.), not being there to see your own child grow up, and constantly living in fear of being caught by migration officials and sent back to your country where economic opportunities are not as readily available? Can you imagine this? These realizations, my sensitivity toward disadvantaged Latino communities, and my desire to promote social justice, bridge the socioeconomic inequity gap, and improve the health and education of these workers are what drove me to become a summer intern through the Cornell Farmworker Program.

Unforgettable experiences as a first year college student

Cornell University, North Campus 2011

I won't be able to capture every significant, unforgettable, and impactful moment during my first year of college in this entry, but I will sum up the experiences. I did not expect my first year as an undergraduate to be as rewarding as it was. Words can’t describe how excited I am to experience my three remaining years here at Cornell. Earlier this year I realized how lucky I am to be part of such a prestigious community. While I've enjoyed most of my classes, it was meeting and getting to know people that I appreciated best. People. Relationships. This is what makes one's college experiences. I felt that the academics, while important, weren't as rewarding as fostering life-long friendships, in my opinion. I personally think that networking, making connections, and life outside of the academic community are the best aspects of college, and I wouldn’t trade them for anything in the world.

Yes, this year had its low points, such as the walks up and down Ithaca's hilly terrain (and coming to class looking as though I'd finished running a marathron...yep, I was out of shape), the rigor of General Chemistry, and some ridiculous drama that cost me a couple of friendships that were shaky to begin with, but thank God these challenges are over (well... except for the walks). These situations have taught me valuable lessons. I believe that everything happens for a reason.

Highlights of the year
Ultimately, the good outweighed the bad. I formed many friendships and interests, and grew closer to my sister. My first year at Cornell overlapped with her final year (2012). If it weren't for her, I truly would not have made it as far as I had, so I thank her so much. She's the best sister anyone could ever have.

With my sister during BSU's (Black Students United) "Black Affair"

event to celebrate the graduating seniors in the class of 2012

Spanish
Spanish became a serious interest of mine. I'm not sure where exactly my passion for the language came from, but it began in my high school Spanish classes and has been growing stronger ever since. It may have to do with my next-door neighbors from Ecuador who we've known for the past seven years, or my Dad's constant reiterations of his philosophy on how useful it is to be multilingual... or maybe it was the catchy reggaeton and latin pop I often heard my Mexican neighbors blasting from their speakers every weekend. Ultimately, however, it was my trip to Guatemala last summer that deepened my love for the culture and Spanish language. Throughout the last couple of semesters I annoyed my friends and family with my obsession with Latin culture, but I’m glad I fostered this “obsession” throughout the year, otherwise I wouldn’t have met a lot of great people with the same interests through programs I joined or been motivated to excel in my Spanish courses. I soon could not get through the day without watching the Spanish show "Aqui No Hay Quien Viva" or the Mexican telenovela "La Fea Más Bella" on YouTube.

Joining an a cappella group
During my first semester, I made a life changing decision to audition for Baraka Kwa Wimbo (Swahili for "Blessings Through Song"), Cornell’s only all-female Gospel a cappella group, and I’m so glad I did. What we've fostered is much more than friendship; we have a sisterhood. I wouldn’t trade this for anything. We all (8 of us) share a love for music, singing, and sharing the Gospel through songs that we compose on our own. After spending four hours a week in rehearsal with the same eight people for an entire year, I inevitably feel a special bond to every single one of them.

Freshman year stress
The biggest stressor of the entire year, needless to say, was the academic rigor. I grew in my study skills, diligence, and tenacity. Never before had I been pushed so hard academically, and though it overwhelmed me, I appreciated that it forced me to develop an even stronger work ethic. General Chemistry was the most difficult course I've taken thus far, and apparently it's one of the hardest classes for a student to enroll in at Cornell. Regardless, I was determined to stick it out.

Quite frankly, I'd been having doubts about pursuing medicine as a career, especially when I think about the stress, the amount of time I'd have to commit to the training, the malpractice suits, the bureaucracy...Many college students come in as pre-med but eventually drop it after experiencing the rigor of the required classes and/or simply realizing that the career isn't for them. I began to think that I should instead delve into my other interests and pursue a career as a Translator, or as a teacher (perhaps either ESL* in U.S. schools or TEFL** abroad), or as the Director of a migrant worker health program somewhere in the U.S that is dedicated to the well-being of undocumented Latino farmworkers. Medicine isn't the only way to give back and serve humanity.

However, I realize the combination of my interests in the health sciences and the human body, my deep sensitivity towards the well-being of others, and ultimately knowing that I'll have a true purpose in life as a physician pushes me to stick it out. Yes, electrons, chemical bonds and the Krebs Cycle really don't have anything to do with patient care, but because this is the content within the courses we're required to take before medical school, we have no other choice but to master it.

My sister told me that as a student at Cornell, you have to choose to have only two of three things: sleep, a social life, or good grades. This year I was only able to carry out two (as expected), but in the future I will challenge this by aiming for all three. Of all three, though, and as I’d said before, I most value having a social life and fostering relationships. I appreciate this opportunity as an undergraduate to be away from home, become more independent, and make my own decisions in my early years as an adult.

*ESL = English as a Second Language

**TEFL = Teaching English as a Foreign Language