Failure can be defined simply as the lack of success. For me though, this definition falls short of all that failure encompasses. In my life, failure has often been the equivalent of missing out on opportunities due to fear. In other words, one can also experience failure before even attempting a new endeavor. I recognize that each story of failure may be different; however, mine combined dread of the unknown, low self-esteem, and, at the very end, a worthwhile life...

To me, Yale-NUS is all about one thing - exposure. I have always loved social sciences, so I cannot imagine I will not major in a field related to that. But as someone who took all three sciences in high school, I need to learn the skills that only a liberal arts education can provide. Taking Historical Immersion will hone my analytical skills; Modern Social Thought will allow me to observe the social world through different “theoretical lenses”. The Common...

“I did it, mom, I got the scholarship to be part of Access” Those would have been my words when talking to my mom yet I did not know English at that time -nor did my mother. In fact, I told her something similar to “Me llamaron para la beca mamá, parece que voy a ser Access.” She did not even know what “Access” meant but I could feel her excitement on the phone just to share my emotion towards...

The words of Frederick Douglas and Rochester’s motto go hand in hand with my own philosophy. At the age of 17, I earned my first U.S. Embassy scholarship: Access. English became my third language and I knew I needed to do something to repay all the teachers and volunteers who generously donated their time to help me. I decided to give back. After graduating, I began tutoring a group of struggling students from the same program. This was my...

Have you ever had one of those dreams where you see yourself in a totally different world from the one you live in? That happened to me the night after I spent long hours trying to finish the virtual tour, from the Abu Dhabi campus of NYU, due to my poor internet connection at home. In spite of that, I craved to see the very famous campus located in one of the most unusual places in the world. My mom...

“Vos que estudia che memby ani ofaltáti ndéve mba’evé” Those were my mom’s words as she mixed Guaraní and Spanish to produce a sweet Jopará and tell me to always study so that I do not face any necessity. She used to tell me this as we headed downtown walking at 4 am to open her bakery. She wanted me to learn as much as I could to not struggle as she did in the past. At...

Tereré, a traditional drink in my country, is composed by a combination of ice-cold water on a jar and yerba mate leaves. According to the Paraguayan tradition, it is not only used to refresh oneself, yet to “cure” some mild diseases. Traditionally, people gather around in a circle to drink tereré. However, it is mainly an excuse for people to spend time together. While drinking tereré, people normally talk about random topics, such as the last soccer game or what...

“Péa ningo ya péicha g̃uarãntema che memby” Those where my mom’s words telling me that I had to accept that poverty and ignorance will never end in our country. I refused that thought, I knew if our family could overcome poverty and other issues, others could as well. I strongly believe that the beat of a butterfly wing can set off a storm a world away. Therefore, this thought led me to join several organizations...

Paraguay is one of the most peculiar places in Latin America. It is the only in the region with a solid soup, a ritual to properly drink Tereré -our official drink- and two official languages: Guarani and Spanish. The first one being our local native language and the second the one we adopted after being colonized. However, I could say we mostly speak one language, we all call it "Jopará" which is a mix of both languages. Upon this, I...