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Xiu Ying Li

“In such a large university of almost 40,000 students, I initially felt intimidated to go out of my comfort zone and ask for help. But after being introduced to a small community of 400 students that came from similar underrepresented backgrounds as myself, I felt like I was no different from someone else. After all, we were together for a reason. The university staff saw potential in us and wanted to give us the privilege of starting ahead. I wasn’t even starting my first semester of college and I already felt like I was making an impact. Learning about socioeconomic injustice in my classes transformed into an educator to my peers.”