Tuesday

When I was growing up, fairy tales set the standard for everything. My parents read them to me from old paperbacks, hoping to teach me about life. Last year, I transferred from my local community college to a big university, UCSD, which is far from my home. As I move into adulthood, those lessons feel different from what they did when I was younger. For me, resilience means trying to find your place in a new, bigger story, even when it feels uncomfortable. 

My painting is a 24 by 30 inch acrylic on canvas, inspired by the story of the Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe. I wanted to imagine what that shoe would look like after years of “real life”. In my painting, the house is boarded up, and the roof is a book. To me, this shows the rigor of the academic journey. Community college was the foundation. My first year at UCSD was hard, and it really challenged me. Moving to a big university feels like leaving that shoe behind and facing a much bigger, more intimidating world. The paperback books my parents read to me have been replaced by high-pressure academics, and the world has become digital. Resilience is taking that foundation with you, even when the “house” you’re living in starts to look different.  

The person in the pink bunny suit is a lot like what it feels like to be a transfer student. The suit looks soft and friendly, but inside, you feel like screaming. As a transfer, you often feel like you have to pretend everything is fine, even though the stress of a new campus and the challenges of the real world can be overwhelming. The quarter system is new, and it feels like there is no time to react. Being resilient means staying in that suit, going to class, and doing your work, even when you feel out of place among people who seem to know exactly what they’re doing. 

Everyone at UCSD has a different background and a unique path. We aren’t all reading from the same book. Being a storyteller means having the guts to share your version of life. I’m figuring out my own way to survive this new chapter. My “shoe” might be old and beat up, and my “bunny suit” might be loud and stick out, but this is my story; I am proud to be resilient enough to be telling it.