This summer I attended a pre-college program for minority students called “Entrada” at CalvinCollege in Michigan. I spent four weeks taking a college course, sharing my faith, learning about racism, and opening myself up to different people from different cultures. I was challenged in all aspects of my life, and I am now more confident in who I am. I was able to live with seventy other juniors and seniors and experience how we can learn from each other.

            During Entrada, I took a philosophy class. I read twenty different philosophers like Holbach, Aristotle, and Plato. From each philosopher, I started to understand where some of my beliefs came from. I found that I agreed with many of the philosophers and disagreed with others. Since completing the class, I feel I can use my new knowledge to help me with my high school courses. I also feel that I can succeed in a college course.

            Two evenings out of the week, the students met in small groups and talked about racism. We were able to discuss our problems with racism and how we have dealt with them. I have been fortunate not to have faced any racism in my life. I have grown up in a small town in New Mexico with mostly Hispanics and Native Americans. Anglos are the minority. When I arrived at Entrada, it was the first time that I felt like a minority. In those small groups, our resident advisors taught us how to react to racism and how to confront someone being racist. Now that I know how to handle racism, I talk to my friends about what I learned and how they can handle racism as they get older.

            On Sunday and two evenings out of the week, we spent time in chapel and in devotions. Our chapels were run by the resident advisors and the students. Our last chapel was the greatest time of Entrada. One of the students presented the sermon, and I felt that God was speaking through him. Students started to walk to the front and pray and cry. We all became a family during that time, and I believe it showed throughout the rest of the program.

            During Entrada, we were also able to participate in fun group events. We had the opportunity to go to Lake Michigan and a theme park, Michigan Adventure. We also enjoyed karaoke, salsa dancing, and a talent show. These programs helped us to have fun and get to know each other better as individuals. We were also able to interact with people around the community by working on service projects.

            The only reason I first applied for Entrada was because my parents pushed me. I really didn’t want to do school work in the summer or leave my home. But because of Entrada and the people I met there, my life has changed for the better. This was an experience that I will never forget, and I wish that all high school students would have a similar opportunity because it would change our generation for the better.