I came into FUP following my love for public service. I ended up leaving with a family. 

All throughout my life, I always loved giving back to my surrounding community. In middle school, I started volunteering in my church’s children’s ministry. In high school, I ran a cafe that used its proceeds to fund missionaries, and during my senior year, I started Project M.E.A.L, which was an initiative to provide food to lower-income people in my hometown. 

As a result, when it came time to sign up for a Pre-Orientation program, the choice to me was clear: I had to apply for FUP, the First-Year Urban Program. I spent a lot of time writing out my application, and trying to demonstrate that I would be the ideal FUPpie, so you can just imagine my joy when I received notice that I would be participating in the program in 2023. 

Move-In Day was a blur. Seeing as I was in a pre-orientation program, my move-in was scheduled a week before the rest of my class arrived. I picked the earliest possible move-in time that day, as I wanted to give myself enough time to settle in before the program picked up. Luckily for me, I wasn’t alone, everyone else in my hallway was in a pre-orientation program as well. Two of the other girls in my hallway were also in FUP, so it was nice to get to know some of the people I’d be spending the next week with. 

Even though FUP 2023 was only a week long, it left a huge impression on me. Outside of the worksite visits, the discussion groups, and the community service elements of the program, I also started forming bonds with the other FUPpies. I started feeling more comfortable with myself. I sang at karaoke nights, talked for hours in Annenberg, and made friends faster than I ever thought possible. I also participated in a lip-sync competition, which involved me stepping on stage for the first time in a long time. 

So, when Pre-Orientation Leader applications came out, there was no uncertainty in my decision: I needed to be a FUP Leader. The choice to apply was one of the best decisions I have made in my college career. I joined the team in March of 2025 as the Communications and Fundraising Chair, and I’ve held that position since. It was through this experience that I got to explore my love of photography, as well as social media content creation. I had to lead a team of other FUP Leaders, which also helped me grow in that regard as well. 

Throughout FUP Week, I got to be the person behind the camera, capturing so many precious moments. From FUPpie move-in to our worksite visits to leadership seminars. I also ended up facilitating a collaboration between FUP and Kuumba, one of my other student organisations. 

More important than what I did, though, was what I learned. Even as a FUP Leader, I was constantly learning from those around me, from our amazing Staff (shoutout Carina and Varsha!) , from my fellow Leaders, and from the new class of FUPpies. Everyone involved in this organisation is so beyond special, and I’m so grateful for each and every one of them. 

As I go into my last FUP season, I’ve been thinking back on my college experience as a whole. Looking back, I never would have imagined how much I’ve accomplished since I first set foot on campus as a fresh-faced FUPpie. Above all else, I owe the program a huge thank you for experiences that I will never forget.