Frank. Franklin. Francisco. Panch. Panchí. Jeremy. Frankie. Stepping onto USC’s campus during move-in week, I needed to decide which version of myself I wanted to present for the next 4 years. As a son of two immigrant, hardworking parents of color, I already had a predetermined narrative attached to my character. “I don’t belong here,” I convinced myself. I am here to fulfill the quota. Self-doubt flooded my thoughts during my first semester at USC. Rather than embracing the years of work and sacrifice my parents achieved before me, I allowed this narrative to dictate what I was capable of.
This doubt did not last long. I quickly built a bond with faculty members at the English department, including Professor David Roman—faculty members who introduced me to beautiful literature and thought-provoking class discussion on a daily basis. I was quickly reminded why I chose to pursue an undergraduate career in English and Literary studies. It was these conversations, worlds, characters and narratives that taught me more about myself and the world around me than any other type of class I had taken.
With faculty and staff pushing me to greater heights than I thought I was capable of, I made the most out of my 4 years at USC. This included two trips abroad to London and Bangkok, where I spent time studying rhetorical themes of London and the United Kingdom as well as corporate social responsibility practices in Thailand. Travel has been a transformative force for me, allowing me to cultivate my own stories to tell in my writing—stories I have only read about for my entire life. Travel, much like literature, has shown me patterns, themes, and similarities in human culture and nature that transcend language and border. Although I am still grappling with these connections, I have built a love and desire for travel that will extend beyond my time at USC.
A professor once told me that reading a book is much like having a conversation with that author. “Which author am I going to be conversing with this weekend?” he asked the class, as he told us his plans for a holiday weekend. Compelled by the way in which the question was framed, I knew this piece of information will linger in my mind for years. It was at this moment where the tiresome and tedious work of constructing the philosophical bridge between my English literature and communication studies was complete. Each piece of literature is a set of conversations between characters—and within these conversations an even greater dialogue between the author and the reader.
This thought mentioned above—a thought that is sure to play a pivotal role in the way I make meaning of the world around me—was sparked by a simple class dialogue, proving how beautiful and valuable literature truly is. Much like mentors, faculty, and role models who taught me everything I know, I would love to play similar roles in the lives of young men of color that come after me. I am passionate about helping young men like myself—men who don’t feel like they belong at elite universities or in the literary world. I am forever grateful for all of those who have believed in me, and I am excited to continue the work that I have started at USC by inspiring more students of color to pursue a higher education.
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