reflection after graduation may ‘24

I’m incredibly relieved to be out— to put it lightly. Cornell was an isolating and deeply classist environment where wealth dictated who truly belonged. Most people there were inconsiderate, self-serving, and oblivious to how their privilege shaped their experience. There was little sense of community, and I often felt ignored, excluded, and dismissed in ways that were deeply painful. My time there was some of the worst years of my life, leaving me struggling with depression and a lost sense of self. At its core, Cornell isn’t about merit—it’s a playground for the rich, where those of us who got in through sheer hard work were left to navigate a world that was never designed for us.