Last week, we met with Maria Nicole Bolaños (’21), an Education Studies concentrator, to ask about her time at Brown. Read our interview below.

Do you remember your first day at Brown? What was the experience like?
I had just arrived from LA, 2000 or more miles away. I got here on my own with two large luggages and a small carry on and backpack. I remember struggling to pull all my luggage down Thayer St. When I got to my dorm, my roommate was already there. Her parents had helped her unpack and I remember missing my mom a lot when I saw that.

On my first day of classes, I remember the culture shock because I had already visited the campus before once with a college access program but it was only for a couple of hours. On the first day of classes, when everything picked up and the entire school population arrived, it was super overwhelming. 

I also remember grabbing dinner with Delmy. I remember seeing her at the Ratty and I was so happy because she was the only person that looked like me and I felt so comfortable around her, I asked if I could sit down with her and eat with her. We spent the entire night talking about how much we missed home already.

Favorite memory at Brown?
When Mariachi de Brown had a performance and played Amor Eterno. Me, Delmy, Diana, Cindy, and Idalmis went together. We were all super emotional because it sounded like home and we all started crying. That moment was really special, it reminded me of family and culture all in one song.

Something you wish you could tell your freshman year self?
To not be afraid to take up space that’s rightfully mine — I used to be so frightened to speak up in any class first semester. I hardly ever spoke up, hardly ever raised my hand, hardly ever participated because I felt so nervous and wasn’t sure if I would sound smart or have the proper vocabulary — and hearing everyone else talk, the jargon, it was intimidating and it would discourage me from participating.

Looking back at it, I wish I would have because I really did have so much to contribute. I could have offered insights as a PoC, first-gen low income student. I could offer insights that others couldn’t have but I didn’t realize how much power I had until recently.