On July 6 of 2025, at around 9:50 AM, I finally arrived at the Yale Campus. The gates of what I soon learned to be Davenport College hadn’t opened yet despite the eager line of students just like me, waiting for their much anticipated summer to finally begin. With my big purple suitcase, stuffed backpack, and open heart, I got in line beside a new friend I had made on the shuttle from New York to Connecticut.
At that moment, I thought of a line from “The Resident”, a medical drama I had unexpectedly tumbled upon: (for patients) There exists a before and an after.” When the gates of Davenport College opened and the line started moving, with brimming expectations I took a photo of the entrance to send to my family group chat, notifying them that YYGS had finally begun. Amidst swirling emotions of excitement, nervousness, and adventure, I briefly wondered if I was living in the before, and two weeks from now, I would be in the after. Now, this may sound slightly dramatic, but it’s true: YYGS changed some part of me. I come from a place where the culture is beautiful, but closed and oftentimes old fashioned in regards to the rest of the world. Coming to Yale, allowed me to interact with people from all kinds of backgrounds, and really opened my eyes to the different perspectives that can exist (Really… people in PLE are very vocal about their thoughts!).
Above all, I’m excited to know that YYGS created a recollection of memories so abundant that a sleepless night does not suffice to reflect upon them, and that instead, the countless memories I created will surface on my mind every once in a while. The next time I eat an ice-cream sandwich, I’ll be taken back to the JE dining hall where me and my friends took the last 3 renowned treats, and the next time I see a bulldog, I’ll recall Handsome Dan’s frowny yet very cute face.
Whenever I hear “Valentine” by Laufey, I’ll remember the amazing rendition done by a student in the Talent Show, the same way the chiming of bells will transport me back to the beautiful and gothic architecture that greeted me every time I walked from my dorm to my seminar. The next time I sit down in history class and look at a map, what before were only places have now become people—my wonderful roommate from Trinidad & Tobago, my hilarious and kind friends from Brazil, the members of my family who I came to appreciate and love, and all the other students who made my experience at YYGS truly remarkable.
So I invite you, whether you’re me from the future, an aspiring YYGS student, a parent, or simply human, to explore the world as much as you can, and begin to appreciate society through the people who are part of it.
Love,
Angela
Angela, Colombia & Spain, YYGS 2025