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¡Punto Final!

Be a Leader: Take that first step

I grew up amongst the strong beats of Puerto Rican salsa, the scrumptious taste of the Venezuelan arepa, the “¡Ay Bendito, Carolina!” from my Puerto Rican father, and the “¿Como estás mi negrita?” from my Venezuelan mother who both helped shape me into the strong Latina young woman I am today.

Ever since I was a child I had an undying passion for reading and writing, I always knew that I wanted to be a writer, to be a voice through words. When it came time for me to graduate from high school, I knew I wanted to be a journalist. Now, I am pursuing a career in journalism. I believe it is one piece of the puzzle to create a society that will be able to grasp situations and cultures all around the world.

As a senior in high school I applied to nine different universities, but I knew that if I really wanted to be good at what I did, I would have to attend the No. 1 School of Journalism, the University of Missouri-Columbia (MU).

When I first arrived to the University of Missouri-Columbia, to begin my studies in journalism and international studies, I was in complete cultural shock. Being from a Hispanic family and coming from Florida by myself to a small town in Missouri was difficult. I looked around at the other students and realized that I was the only one in my classroom, in my dorm, in the dining halls, that looked anything like me. During my first semester I was very homesick, I missed my food, my family, something that every freshman goes through. However, in my case, I didn’t feel there was any other person that I could relate to. My culture and identity are very important to me and going to a school that has about 28,000 students but only about 485 Hispanics; I knew that I had to do something.

During my freshman year I founded the student chapter of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ). We are the third student chapter of NAHJ in the nation. Being the founder and president, I believe that a chapter of NAHJ at MU is crucial. First of all, one of the goals set for the organization is to help recruit more Hispanic students to the University and into the field of journalism. Moreover, I wanted to establish the organization to bring more understanding about the Hispanic community to the campus. Another goal of the organization is to increase the coverage of the Hispanic community in the media. Therefore, I have been actively recruiting students who are not only Hispanic but also have a stake and an interest in the Hispanic community.

I have also exercised an interest in increasing diversity on the campus as a whole through my work as secretary of the Hispanic American Leadership Organization (H.A.L.O.). The group has come a long way by starting the first Hispanic student orientation, implementing an international service project, and launching a website.

I really value the community through my role as a volunteer at the Centro Latino, a local non-profit organization and resource center for Hispanic/Latinos in the community. I tutor in the after-school program because I find it important to be a role model to younger kids.

Recently I was awarded the scholarship Líderes De Hoy, an essay contest sponsored by Allstate Insurance Company and the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), recognizing my achievements as a leader, because I truly believe that I have to be the change I want to see in the world, a message that Ghandi made when he was alive. The Líderes De Hoy scholarship, brought me closer to other Hispanic leaders in America and really inspired and showed me that there are young Latinos in the nation who are making a difference.

Your college experience is honestly what you make of it. I have found a great group of friends, including Latinas, who are my support group and most importantly have become my family here at MU. Although I left one community and had to step out of my boundaries, my “bubble,” to come here, I decided to begin my own community with my friends and mentors who keep me strong and show me that there is a reason we fight so hard to be heard on this campus. To any Latina that is about to step into a situation that may be uncomfortable or unknown, either in a work environment or in college, please, do not be afraid. It takes that one person to make the first step that will open that door for others to come in. I truly hope that I have inspired other Latinas to go into uncharted territories because our voices are important and need to be heard. As Walter Lippmann says, “the final test of a leader is that he [she] leaves behind him [her] in other men [and Latinas] the conviction and the will to carry on.”

I truly embrace being Latina. I plan to achieve my goals and dreams by drawing on the core values that, as Hispanics, we all share–hard work, education, determination to succeed in the face of adversity, self-reliance, support of community, and family. As I and other Latinas live out the dreams of our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents that brought us here, we can transform our society for the better.

By Carolina Escalera