As a child, you are always told to be your own person, have your own thoughts, and think outside of the box. You are encouraged to be different, to express yourself, and to stand up for what you believe. While I believed this in elementary school when no controversial issues were ever really discussed in the classroom, my beliefs changed as I got older. Growing up in the strongly religious, Christian south, having a liberal opinion about controversial issues is not often taken well by your peers. While I was always told that I had every right to share my opinion, religion classes often turned into an hour of biting my tongue especially regarding issues like abortion. In these moments, I felt voiceless, knowing that expressing my opinion would cause a heated discussion, leading to my own embarrassment. I'd walk out of the class and immediately find my best friend who shared the same opinions as I did and we would rant about what happened in our classes. In a country in which freedom of speech is encouraged, I felt silent.
Upon visiting Vassar College, my eyes were opened to a world in which people were allowed to have discussions. People of different heritages and religions could openly discuss important issues that are minimized by society, such as saying "Happy Holidays" versus "Merry Christmas." Until I got here, I did not realize how ignorant I had been to the world. I was introduced to the idea of stating your pronouns upon meeting new people. Before living here, I never considered that some people may prefer the pronouns they/them/theirs, a concept that would be dismissed in my high school experience.I was introduced to the concept of safe spaces where you were free to voice your opinions without feeling judged and being immediately shot down. I could be the free thinker I had always prided myself on. Additionally, everyone felt free to be themselves. Whether that meant embracing your inner hipster or being open about your sexuality, students here never seemed to bat an eye at someone who stood out in a crowd. Having gone to a school, where nonconformists were easily dismissed, these new ideas excited me. There was so much more to think about than just following the social standards set by my High School environment. A whole new world opened up for me where I could think and feel and reason beyond the set dogma I had grown up with. People actually wanted to have these discussions and open up these spaces for being respectful and encouraging free thinking. While going to college far from home was a huge struggle at first, I have never regretted my decision to have a voice and being accepted.
