Since arriving at Harvard, I have spent both of my summers on campus, and I will be here over the summer again this year.
My first summer, I worked full time for the Undergraduate Minority Recruitment Program giving tours, answering questions of prospective students, and performing other duties as a student coordinator for the Admissions Office. I have kept this job term-time for the last two years and I now serve as a senior coordinator for the group. I think the work we do is super important, and I am happy the opportunity to work for them full-time is how I spent my first summer here!
After working for the UMRP freshman summer, I decided to devote last summer to working with Roxbury Youth Initiative (RYI), a summer program run through the Phillips Brooks House at Harvard. As a director, my job was to essentially make the camp run, which included hiring staff, orchestrating field trips, licensing the camp, working out and maintaining a site agreement, collecting camper applications, enrolling all eighty-five of our kids in the program and placing them in their classrooms, and a plethora of other tasks. It was a lot of work, but easily the most transformative, guiding experience of my life thus far. Working with SUP let me know that my passion involves working with kids and doing what I can to work to counteract the effects of educational inequality.
RYI campers with their arms painted.
Over the course of the summer, there were countless good times and priceless memories made with our kids. Midsummer Celebration where all 10 Summer Urban Program camps come together for a night of games, bouncy houses, and camp performances sticks out. The last day of camp where everyone in a mile ratio of the site was crying in anticipation of saying goodbye sticks out. All the water balloon fights, breakthroughs, games, books, and our overnight trip to Roll on American all come to mind. However, arguably my favorite moment was when a camper in our Green group (ages 7-9, primarily 8-year-olds) made me a card to thank me for planning our field trips.
A portrait of me as drawn by a camper.
As I gear up for my second summer with RYI (again as a director), I am incredibly excited to get back to our kids and the safe community we have created at my camp. Of our senior staff, 8/10 will be returners this year, compared with 1/10 last year, giving us a unique opportunity to continue to build upon the foundation of love and learning we created last summer. There's no place like home, and I am happy to have found mine at RYI.
RYI campers running into the water at the lake during our camping trip.
A photo of the 2026 Summer Recruitment Ambassadors on the Weeks Bridge
Gathering together for their welcoming ceremony students prepare for the start of a new year.
Weeks Bridge has one of the best views of the Cambridge skyline, especially at sunset.
The inside of The Coop from the second floor view
PopUp Bagels, one of the most popular breakfast spots in Harvard Square
Drawing can be a leisure activity or a great way to relax. A sketch book and pen often accompanied me at the park in my free moments.
A photo of the Harvard Art Museums
A hand holding a card featuring a Harvard ID with the Harvard crest
The Garment District is a thrift and costume shop just outside of Harvard's campus.
My Philosophy banner
My Siblings and I When we were Younger
Here I posed with my new team to celebrate our victory in my first game of flag football. I even taught the team how to sign "K" for Kirkland House in ASL
Me and my friends at Fête, Eliot House's end of year formal
My daily walk during the winter
During the Cultural Rhythms, Caitlyn showcased her beautiful Vesido De Flores dress from Mexico and I showcased South Sudanese Lawa. Later only to find out she is in Pforzheimer House, the best house. We become friends ever since. An amazing woman
FUP Silent Disco
Me and my friends showcase similar styles
Overhead view of Annenberg Hall
First-year students gather to commemorate a successful alumni networking event at the historically exclusive Harvard Club of Boston
Picture of me and others at the Visitas Concentration Fair in 2024
Nearly 200 students across 20+ high schools attended Harvard's first High School Ethics Bowl (HCHSEB)
A picture of some of my blocking group members and I on Housing Day!
Harvard Yard
Lizbeth and friends at the Latinx Senior Thesis Forum, where they presented on their year-long projects.
Mollie and Kai during the interview at Currier House!
A sign welcoming new Quincy house residents on Housing Day!
The Barker Center, home to the Harvard College Writing Center
2026 LEAD Board
This is my junior year desk where I have my trusty monitor where I did most of my readings. But the TV served as a great medium to watch comfort movies and shows.
During my internship at the Harvard Admissions Office, I met great people who continue to be my close friends.
This is the opening page of Harvard's Office of International Education, where you can find plenty of resources in your study abroad journey.
I pose with the sign for History and Science in front of Widener Library
One of Galileo's works in Houghton Library.
Quinn Ewanchyna '26 stands with platoon members during a training exercise in the Mojave Desert, 2020
Secquoia and her fiancé after running the Cambridge Half Marathon
Secquoia with her mom and sister at a family weekend event!
Pforzheimer House at night with its beautifully lit belltower.
On a sunny day, I chose to take a selfie of myself with the iconic Melbourne city skyline in the back.
Some friends and I took a coach bus from Boston to New York City and visited Times Square as a part of this trip!
CS50 Hackathon IHOP Breakfas
Pfohomies Enjoying the Grill'n'Stein
A view with my food from my first year, eating in the famous Annenberg Hall.
My friends from my entryway and I pose for a picture together before we go kayaking!
Outfield seat view of a game at Fenway Park between the Boston Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles
Philip Brooks House, the locus of public service on campus, located in Harvard Yard.
First-time snorkeling!
Every September, the College holds an Extracurricular Fair in Harvard Yard. This is one of the first opportunities for many to learn about GAASA.
Captured around sunset as we hiked the Watchman Trail.
A selfie with six of my block mates, two of which performed in this dance show!
My friends and I celebrating our last first day of classes this semester.
Ana's Harvard (Friends)
The view from one of the peaks in Mount Mansfield State Forest, Vermont!
A picture of many runners (including the author, Ricky) running during the Cambridge Half Marathon.
Various colorful flower bouquets which were given to first-gen/low-income student on the kick of of FGLI Visibility Week.
Lizbeth pictured in the Boston Commons with five friends from her Emerging Scholars Program cohort.
Ana with her family member at her high school graduation.
A picture of Harvard College students who attended RAZA's first event of the semester in the fall of 2024.
A photo of me with the first two other students who were hired as freshman student workers last fall
One of my favorite photos of TCS. Small Island, Big Family!
View from the hotel in Sidi Bou Said, Tunis
Intermediate Filipino Class
A picture taken of me during Harvard vs. University of New Hampshire.
Samia Afrose with friends at Luxor Cafe
Samia Afrose and Hana Rehman at South Asian Convocation
A photo taken in my last class at Harvard with one of my closest friends my senior year.
Hana Rehman in Gloucester
My Sister and I on NSA's Executive Board in 2023
Picture of the John Harvard Statue
BASHA board members
Hana Rehman at Mock Mehndi
Hana Rehman at Sur Sagar
Harvard College students host Chaand Raat.
A photo of myself looking at the Zanzibari waters
Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience Senior Thesis Writers
My blocking group and I after being dorm stormed
Cheering you on in your scholarship application journey!
Harvard Foundation interns in the spring of 2024, dressed up before the event of Cultural Rhythms.
My friends and I before our last Eliot Fall Formal
My room in the wonderful Stoughton Hall!
A group photo on the last day of class!
Grupo Frontera with those who attended RAZA’s Trailblazer Award ceremony
My view from atop a hill near a mining camp.
Eliot First day of class BBQ
Our first day we were taken on a city tour to explore!
Pretty views in the heart of Harvard Square
My bookshelf in my dorm!
Malika Umar and Samia Afrose Celebrating Eid-al-Fitr
Seniors at the Harvard Islamic Society Send Off
16th St Baptist Church Birmingham, AL
RAZA's Board on the last Mesa (social event) of the 2023 spring semester.
A photo of my classmates, Prof. Habib and I
Some of the many great friends I made during my first-year!
Dining with the Harvard Muslim community, my junior year
Seeing the Lotus Temple in Delhi, India was only one of the many great experiences I've had thanks to Harvard Model Congress
Me with the director of FOP, the wonderful Lesedi Graveline
My mom and I at Junior Parents Weekend
I passed through Cañar on my trip to my hometown, where I got to visit the Ingapirca Ruins!
Latinx Convocation is an important event that celebrates Latinx culture and welcomes first years to Harvard! Julia Casas president of Fuerza on the left and Gloria Maldonado president of Latinas Unidas on the right.
MEDLife volunteers posing for picture with MEDLife Logo
Display of butterflies at the Harvard Natural History Museum.
Food provided by Harvard University Dining Service Workers on Thanksgiving Day
My fellow HFAI coordinators and I at Sufra!
After a warm ride aboard the ferry, we made it to Georges Island!
Brattle Square Florist
My friends and our Thanksgiving dinner.
Harvard's course search page allows you to browse the 3,500+ courses offered each semester
The SCC
LiHC Board smiling for a group picture
After weeks of preparation, my hard work paid off when I was elected as the queen of my tribal organization in the US, SarUSA (Saraguro Residents in the USA).
These are some of the books sitting on my shelf.
A chalkboard full of math in the Science Center
Sunrise during our first morning at sea.
The 2022 summer American Repertory Theater (from left to right): Chinyere Obasi '24, Caron Kim '24, Sophie Kim '24, Diana Chen '25, Sophie Garrigus '25.
Group picture from our final dinner celebration!
I officially declared Sociology as my concentration this fall!
My friends and I love attending the socials that are hosted by the affinity groups!
I love catching the crisp morning breeze every Saturday morning!
My friends and I holding the Winthrop banner at our graduation!
Fall foliage
This is LS50.
The sunrise on the morning of Housing Day this year.
Ana's Blog Thumbnail
My first cookout at Harvard was successful!
My First Harvard Yale Game
An empty room? More like a clean canvas!
Where I love to study no matter what I’m concentrating in!
The Fall 2021 HFAI Student Coordinator Team!
Adding as thumbnail for blog
The brochure given to us on Convocation, a day before the start of classes
A picture of a white poster with "Adams House is the Best House" written on it.
Me and my roommates smiling for a picture at Harvard Yale Game
Sitting in front of Widener with my first friends at Harvard in fall 2018. None of us could have predicted that we would end up taking a leave of absence together two years later.
A friend and I celebrating our high school graduation!
So grateful to have worked with these amazing student leaders this past year!
hey, what's that--a liminal space?
My one of my Floridian roommates in the snow last year looking warm in a coat and jeans!
A dancer jumping in the air
My fellow singers and I singing “Lay Me Low,” our closing number, by Addah Z. Potter and arranged by Kevin Siegfried, at Reunion: A Fall Concert.
To relax after midterms, some friends and I enjoyed donuts for breakfast in Leverett Dining hall.
My friends and I at the Harvard-Yale football game pre-pandemic.
Here's some friends and I at Acadia National Park over an extended weekend!
Although I chose a few items to show, my collection of trinkets from Cambridge is growing constantly.
The front of Claverly Hall on Mt. Auburn Street.
This is our entryway ready for their convocation!
A snapshot of my room in the afternoon
These research materials and I have been attached all summer.
A picture of the Charles River overlooking Harvard's River Houses
One of my favorite parts of Cambridge summers is how beautiful the sky gets as the sun starts to set. I've dubbed them "cotton candy skies" due to the vibrant pinks, blues, and purples that the sky takes on during this time.
This was during our first few weeks at Harvard!
Cake from Paris Baguette & my Thesis Title Page
A group of PAFs after an evening of games during orientation.
I got to take photos with my thesis (or at least the first 25 pages of it) on the steps of Widener Library!
Me and a teammate sailing the first double handed sail of the year.
Cherry Blossom outside Lowell
Here's Harpreet and I with our best friends back in high school!
The finale act of the 2020 show!
Mt. Auburn Street Side of Harvard University Health Services/Smith Center
Here is a picture of my family, including my mom, brothers, grandma, uncle and aunt, and cousins.
The SEF is just one way for low-income students to receive extra support towards the cost of attendance at Harvard
trips into Boston are worth it!
Photo of side of Apley Court
My friends and I like to study in the basement of Stone Hall in Quincy House. From left to right, Rowen VonPlagenhoef ('21), Maya Almoussa ('21), me, Anthony Zhong ('21), and Stephen Freeman ('21).
I transformed my desk to a workstation to dissect the worms for my lab.
My blockmates and I at Winthrop House on our Housing Day!
Studying on a cold day with some coffee.
I have very specific playlists for every mood.
Here are some of the books I've been reading for fun lately!
Kuumba had a winter concert last year that focused on the importance of Black Love; this photo, which captures the power of intimacy, was taken during the dance section of the concert.
My family and I during my move in.
Pictured with me (on the left) are Louisa (student at the Center for Research and Interdisciplinarity in Paris), TJ (Harvard Class of 2020), and Gabi (Harvard Class of 2021) from left to right.
My roommates and I grabbed brunch in Harvard Square and enjoyed it on the steps of Widener Library!
Me at my computer during one of my many late night study sessions.
Here is the full cast (and some of our crew) for the Hyperion Shakespeare Company's production of Macbeth!
Walking to Class
Here's a collage of all the outfits I'll be featuring in this blog.
A screenshot I took from my college admissions decision from Harvard.
Here's a group photo of the Radcliffe Choral Society on the steps of Stella Maris Church in San Juan! We sang here several times, for rehearsals, church services, and our finale concert the night before we flew back to Boston.
Here's the new Sunflower sign we just put up with our students as community service.
Harvard Yard, where many first-year students live.
A Zoom Picture from my FYRE Family!
I miss doing reading for my English and creative writing classes on my Winthrop House dorm room!
A list of just some of the possible concentrations offered at Harvard
Weld Hall, the first-year dorm where I am a PAF!
A snap of an empty Tercentenary theater as I worked on my homework
My friends and I love hanging out in the roof-top common room in Winthrop House!
I took this photo of my grandpa's cows on a film camera during one of my visits! The view was absolutely breathtaking.
I found myself this summer sitting at my laptop a lot more than I had originally planned
I make the most of my Zoom-ed reality by taking calls outside!
Here I am teaching a government class from last summer!
During the last days of first-year, I organized an outdoor picnic in Harvard Yard for the Black Class of 2022. There was pizza, music, and an entertaining, but yet chaotic game of musical chairs.
Performing at the Peabody Museum's Day of the Dead celebration and exhibit.
The view of the Charles River from Leveret House, which is right next to Winthrop House!
My Harvard Journal Project notebook, with its (not so successful) attempt to color the Harvard logo on the front.
Selfie in the Seattle Airport.
My friends and I decided to have a group photo session the day before leaving campus!
Me giving out homemade awards to my MFP students!
A picture of Agassiz House, taken during my first visit to Harvard. Although I had not previously considered Harvard an option, I applied Early Action two months later, feeling an immediate connection to the campus.
I've gotten to make some incredible friendships during my time here, and these lovely people are some of my closest friends.
My view out the window as I flew to Europe for the first time
Lowell IM Soccer after a big win the in the Semi Finals!
Lowellians ready to welcome first years to our home!
Snow falling outside Wigglesworth Hall, one of 17 first-year dorms.
I took this photo of the Boston skyline while running by the Charles River.
The office threw me a mini goodbye party to thank me for my work during the summer!
A photo of me and friends in front of the Carpenter Center my freshman year
Veritaffle
Kirkland House Opening Days 2018
Another spot to rest with great views of New Hampshire!
A view of the city of Boston from Harvard's campus.
Chicken Schnitzel Sandwich
HUSE board members working hard to manage student lounge and to assist students during Splash.
Harvard's dining hall for first-year students.
PicNAHC! One of the many events students hold for prefrosh.
My field team in Bazil.
FUP leader family 2018
Harvard Undergraduate UNICEF Club
The Ladies of the Rainbow. I am the Lady in Blue in my last Black CAST production.
A sophomore and I at a mosque in the City of the Dead!
Nigerian Students Association Executive Board at our 9th Annual Independence Day Gala
My favorite place to read at the Public Garden is in the shade by one of the ponds!
Me and three of my first-year suite mates
Here's a picture that includes members of my entryway community at Weld Hall!
My mom and I in a lecture hall for the Junior One Ring Ceremony.
My roommates and I in our Straus room
As a part of orientation, my program took us on a bike tour of Havana. Here we are in "Plaza de la Revolución" , a large public plaza dedicated to the revolution and its leaders.
Dining in at By Chloe in Fenway
This is the photo for my satirical piece: "My Guilty Pleasure is the Crimson Arts Internal Service Error."
I spent A LOT of days in the archives
Taking a victory picture with one of my best friends and teammates.
Harvard Primus's President Brandon and I at our table at this year's activities fair!
HPF teamed up with Wellesley's Club Filipino for a Kamayan performance!
Me and my friends at Fenway during this year's game
Since the trail was too muddy to actually hike, we decided to walk around near the creek and take pictures together.
This is where I'm building the R&J set!
Watching a music video in class during a lecture about "Consuming Black Culture"
A photo of me and my classmates during a group presentation!
Me introducing speakers at the JFK Jr. Forum!
My friend Mathilde in our Osteoarchaeology class
My friend and I posing in the snow during Housing Day! We were ready to go storm first-year's dorms!
The NAHC Board!
I got to go to Paris over Spring Break of my sophomore year and I was honestly living my best life.
Photograph of Dan Lobo
My Friends and I at Harvard-Yale!
Test tubes in a laboratory
This dweeb could be your alumni interviewer. Don't be afraid!
Interior design for days.
The HCC crew, we're here for you!
I never thought I'd be wearing that big H sweater or be looking this ~artsy~.
Annenberg or The Berg or The Great Hall of Hogwarts
This is what my House at Harvard looks like. Dunster for life! (Credit: http://htlit.com/elements/DunsterHouse.jpg)
Going back to Weld at the end of the day is a great feeling.
