“When I was 3 years old, I was adopted from Kazakhstan and brought back to Malden, Massachusetts, to spend my life with my forever family. Growing up I was a normal kid. I hung out with friends, attended school and somehow made it to college. Where I grew up, I was surrounded by an abundance of diversity – my high school is one of three of the most diverse schools in New England. My mother and aunt who adopted me are Irish, while I’m obviously not, so fitting in was sometimes hard – especially around the holidays. With Christmas coming up I am excited for all of my family’s traditions, but I wonder sometimes what it would be like back in my country. Now that I am in college, I’m old enough to understand that I can learn and practice some of my own traditions, and I’m sure my parents would love to do the same. Coming to Hofstra has taught me more about myself than I ever knew. Embracing who I am and where I come from is very important because at the end of the day, I can’t change my past. I am grateful to attend college where cultural diversity is celebrated and encouraged. This year, I plan on introducing a new family tradition that comes from Kazakhstan, and I cannot wait to continue to learn and try new things in the future. It is never too late to learn about where you have come from, because after all where I’m from is part of who I am and always will be.”