Melissa’s Final Reflection
Throughout the semester we discussed various topics and themes but the main thing that stayed consistent throughout the semester was the open discussions we had during class. Professor Castillo consistently invited students in the class to share their opinions and express themselves. From early in the semester, a platform where students could share their opinions was established. Hearing my peers express themselves throughout the semester I realized many of us share similar experiences and identities. Many students in the class identified as first-generation, Latino, and bilingual. As a result, many of us share similar experiences and feelings regarding our identity and position here at Cornell. Oftentimes I found myself relating to my peers as they shared their experiences.
Upon deciding what project I wanted to complete I knew I wanted it to be something that reflected my identity. I also wanted to create something that my peers could relate to and connect with. Now that the project has been completed and presented I can’t imagine any other way I could have accomplished this goal. Not only does the completed project maintain the platform that Professor Castillo extended to us but it amplifies the platform. In our podcast, my peers and I were able to express ourselves openly in a way that reaches our peers and is now open to a much greater audience. Most importantly, the podcast is an embodiment of our Latino identity and the trials and tribulations that arise from being first-generation Latinas.
We designed the podcast knowing that women like ourselves, who share our identity would be listening. Thus, our goal was to create something our peers could relate to, understand, and connect with. Our approach to accomplish this was to be open and honest with our audience about the experiences we’ve had as first-generation Latina women. In the podcast we talk about mental health in Latino culture, transitioning to Cornell as first-generation Latina women, and leave our listeners with pieces of advice. Being first-generation, it’s oftentimes difficult to find people who understand these new experiences, thus it was important to us to allow our fellow peers many of whom share the same or similar experiences to connect with us. As we recorded the episodes, we found ourselves being vulnerable with our audience in sharing our stories.
Completing this project allowed myself and my peers to express ourselves in a way we never had before. If the class and professors had not extended a platform to the students I wouldn’t have been inspired to use this platform to share an important part of my identity, especially at Cornell. I’d also like to add that completing this project allowed me to connect further with my peers. I am thankful for the opportunity to have created this project and hope my peers can connect with us through the podcast as I did listening to my peers speak in class throughout the semester. I leave the class knowing there is a community of Latinos I can turn to at Cornell.