Starr, Masand, Casareno Deliver “Senior Voices” Addresses

Jenna Starr ’15, Jasmine Masand ’15, and Camille Casareno ’15 delivered “Senior Voices” speeches on May 23 in Memorial Chapel. Below are the texts of their speeches.

Jenna Starr

I am grateful to Wesleyan. After a turbulent year at a different school, Wesleyan was the second chance I urgently needed.

When I first got here (literally the first day), I was scared. I was so scared that when my dad and aunt tried to leave, I secretly jumped in their car so they would take me home. When they caught me, I admitted that my greatest fear was that my negative experience at my previous school wasn’t because that university wasn’t right for me, but because I’m not fit for college. What if the same thing that happened freshman year, happened, again, at Wesleyan?

Three years later, and now I’m trying to figure out how to hide on campus so I don’t have to leave here (anyone know of any good spots?). In other words, the fear that I had was not realized. Now, I have a new fear, as I’m sure most seniors do: Life after college.

It’s with a very heavy heart and great reluctance that I say that “life after college” begins tomorrow around 2/3pm. Even though I have nothing planned, per say (don’t worry mom and dad, I promise I’ll figure it out), I have a set of skills that I am confident will help me come out on top in the real world.

These “set of skills” are ones that I share with my fellow Wesleyan students. They involve the ability to have an open mind, to challenge others (and oneself), to ask questions, to engage in dialogue, and to have confidence.

I definitely did not have these qualities before I came to Wesleyan. Besides just being completely ignorant about issues that didn’t pertain to me (I now know how to correctly use ze and hir pronouns because of Wesleyan), I lacked self-confidence in all senses of the word. Before I came here, I didn’t like any attention on me, which manifested in me not raising my hand in class, me not introducing myself to a lot of people and me not trying new things.

That lasted about a day at Wesleyan. Here I am, 1 of 3 people reading a speech at a pre-graduation ceremony. Here I am, President of the Senior Class, WesCeleb (a title that I wish I could put on my resume), and Community Advisor of the Year for Residential Life. Most importantly, here I am, surrounded by amazing friends, and smiling from ear to ear as I think about my time at Wesleyan.

So what was it about Wesleyan that made this possible? What is it about this school that creates an atmosphere where I felt safe enough to come outside of my comfort zone?

Part of it is because of the administration, which, although frustrating at times, does do its part in giving students freedom to protest issues that students are passionate about, and gives them the freedom to create student groups for any interests (shout out to the bee-keeping club and the people watching club).

Another part is the open curriculum, which encourages students to take classes all over the board. I am now someone that is “experienced” in West African Dance. I am now someone that has been to prison and taught inmates Shakespeare. How cool is that?

A larger part in the creation of this safe environment is the faculty and staff, who have been approachable, creative, and encouraging. My teachers have helped to create that safe environment in the classroom where I felt comfortable enough to raise my hand and participate. The staff at Usdan always makes sure to ask me how my horse is doing and loves when I show them pictures (this wouldn’t be a Jenna speech without mentioning my horse). The staff’s beautiful displays of affection might be in my top 10 things that I will miss the most. I honestly think it’s safe to say that I wouldn’t have learned as much as I did, both in the classroom and outside of the classroom, if it weren’t for the faculty and staff on campus. These individuals serve as role models for my peers and me. The intimate connection that I developed with my bosses at Residential life, my Dean, my advisors, and my professors, made this campus feel more like a home.
Of course, before anyone can shine and truly find themselves, they need to know that they have the support system to do so. My family has been great in supporting my decision to transfer to Wesleyan and for supporting my endeavors here. However, my Wesleyan peers have been imperative in helping me make my Wesleyan transformation.

Wesleyan students are passionate, and it is impossible to live on this campus without interacting in some sort of dialogue that pertains to these passions. When I started interacting with other Wesleyan students, their drive and determination to change the world and challenge themselves while doing it, was so infectious that I began to step outside of my comfort zone. You guys showed me that it is okay, even expected, to try new things and fail, but yet still have fun while doing it. You guys showed me that it’s okay to be weird (#keepwesweird). You guys showed me that it is a waste to not take advantage of everything offered here. That’s why, during my time here, I have tried so many things ranging from volunteer work to participating in theater performances.

As I began to meet more and more Wesleyan students, and realized how much I can learn from them, I was unstoppable. It was my mission to meet as many people as possible. I began to introduce myself to people that I frequently walked by (true story: that’s how I became friends with Robert Ramos), and smiled at those that I didn’t know. As I began to make friends, I began to fall in love with Wesleyan, and with myself. I loved being a person that was known on campus because of my outgoing personality and all of my contributions to this school. I was proud of my accomplishments and loved showing this school off to my family and friends. Wesleyan, I found myself because of you.

As my time here is winding down, I am on cloud nine. I just organized a very successful senior week, and I honestly want my time at Wesleyan to last forever. That’s silly though, because then everything that I learned from here would go to waste. I am going to use my newfound confidence out in the real world. And no matter what I do, I am comforted by the fact that the knowledge, skills, friends, and curiosity of inquiry that I’ve acquired from Wesleyan will be with me for the rest of my life.

Camille Casareno

“Welcome to Wesleyan University! My name is Camille and I am your tour guide for today. I am a senior Neuroscience and Behavior major. Outside of the classroom, I work a lot with reproductive health on campus: I am the coordinator of Wesleyan Clinic Escorts; I am a doula with the Wesleyan Doula Project; and I was an advocacy intern with NARAL Pro-Choice Connecticut this past fall. I am also part of the Filipino student association and I founded WesWIG, Wesleyan’s first female gamers club.”

That is my tour guide introduction. Before every tour, I rattle off my academic and extracurricular activities to convince prospective students that they too will sound this impressive if they come to our university. On my tours, kids ask how the big first-year dorms are and how the gender-neutral bathrooms work, as if these will be highlights of their college experience. Parents are especially interested in the return of interest on a liberal arts degree and the career prospects that Wesleyan opens, which was something I was very conscious about during my college application process.

What I don’t mention is that I am a first-generation, low-income student, and that it is these factors that have had the greatest influence on my time here. When I saw that red and black acceptance envelope sitting in the mail on March 14, 2011, it was probably the second greatest moment of my life. The greatest moment was reading the financial aid letter that came with it, and learning that I would be able to attend. I was set on leaving poor Springfield, Ohio to attend to the prestigious and elite Wesleyan University.

The transition to Wesleyan was not easy. I was 700 miles away from home, but there was an equally large distance between me and other students in terms of wealth and personal experiences. Most students are concerned with how the dining hall fare tastes. For me, it was having access to vegan food for this first time and having greater social consciousness about where my food was coming from. Advisors tell their students to choose their courses based on their interest. I was forced to choose my major based on what I thought it would be profitable. For me, college is about having a greater kinship with the cleaning staff who tidy up our classrooms and offices, than the professors who use them. This bridge becomes harder to cross when your work-study hours take priority over academic opportunities so you can pay for tuition.

During my first day of work at the Office of Admission, an associate dean told me — a little too frankly — that the high-school I went to isn’t really a feeder for universities like Wesleyan. And she was right. My teachers had never heard of Wesleyan before. Almost everyone I knew went to a community college or an in-state public university. Their college experience is so vastly different from mine. In a conversation about choosing courses with my best friend from home, she didn’t understand why I wanted to take Drawing II here; “It’s just not practical,” she said. I never ended up taking Drawing II.

The lessons and experiences I have had at Wesleyan will stay with me. Sure, I will be leaving with a neuroscience degree and have plenty to say about the brain. But I have also become comfortable talking to people in positions of power who may be gatekeepers of opportunity. I have learned how to speak intelligently and critically about the various systems we are a part of and the injustices they place upon us. I have juggled three jobs and a fulltime course load, while maintaining leadership positions in extra-curriculars. I am proud of my time-management skills and determination. I have persevered my way through an institution that was once so alienating, where no one expects someone of my background to even be here.

As a senior, I am excited to see Wesleyan’s activist spirit take up the cause of class. I have been hearing more and more underrepresented students sharing their experiences and calling for action. When I meet other first generation and low income students, there is a shared understanding of the burden we carry on this campus. I have been lucky to meet faculty members and administrators who are willing to hear my story. Yet I worry for students in a similar position who are struggling in silence and feel like they have to handle this journey all on their own.

The statistics were never in my favor, but I stand in front of my peers successful and proud of my accomplishments. I am privileged to study at one of the best schools in the nation, even if it meant working a little harder than everyone else. The topic of wealth and privilege is a provoking one on our campus. However, in order to progress, we must keep having conversations about class and provide a voice to students who feel like they must keep this part of themselves hidden away. It’s not just about not being able to take Drawing II. I don’t ask for your pity; I ask for your support and understanding. This is a part of my identity that has only made me stronger, and I know others who feel the same way.

I’ve worked hard to close that gap between me and my peers. I’d like to see Wesleyan make that same effort. Still, I believe Wesleyan has made us rich and that that wealth comes in many forms. Wesleyan has made me rich in friendships with incredibly bright and hard-working people, in the opportunity to learn both from my peers and my professors, and with an education I could not afford otherwise.