Share a time in which you engaged with a perspective, identity, community, or experience that was different from your own and how it impacted your worldview.

Shortly after I moved to City, which ranks dead last among America’s fifty largest cities in upward mobility, I joined the City Youth Coalition (CYC) Junior Board. CYC is a co-ed, selective after-school program dedicated to sending high-achieving, underprivileged students to college. I was excited to serve my community through a board, but it was only through spending time with students and families that I truly understood their obstacles.

In April, I participated on a panel to share advice on the college process. In this discussion, CYC students and parents asked dozens of questions revealing their deep concerns about college access and the associated financial burden. This experience provided me with insight into why so many students don’t attend or graduate from college. Growing up in an environment where a college degree is the norm, it’s easy to take for granted.

Board leadership can feel gratifying but distanced from the acute, complex needs of students, it’s easy to lose sight of their reality. I will carry this lesson with me as I continue contributing to education-focused nonprofits. As a Darden student, I aim to volunteer with an organization such as the local AVID chapter working to close the achievement gap.