Becoming a more genuine version of myself

“I had a lot of ideas but I didn’t know how to make space for them. I do here. I have become a more genuine version of myself.”

“This is kind of corny, but when I came to 69ƷƵ, I couldn't have imagined who I would become,” says Paige Osborne ’23. “I had a lot of ideas but I didn’t know how to make space for them. I do here. I have become a more genuine version of myself.” 

Osborne is leaning toward majoring in politics and she credits Preston Smith, Class of 1926 Professor of Politics. “I took his Black Metropolis class in spring 2020 and it literally changed my life,” she says. Smith connected her with a congressional candidate in New York City, which led to a summer internship. She found an outlet for her growing activism by volunteering with the Trans Asylum Seekers Support Network, based in Northampton. 

“The culture at 69ƷƵ is very freeing,” she says. “It’s very open and open-minded. I didn't realize how much I like it until I got home and I was like, I have to get back to MoHome! Now that I've developed skills for community and leadership, I can’t wait to develop those even further.”