1. What was a significant location on campus for you? Why?
I had a hard time with this question, because there are at least 3 places that were significant locations for me on campus: The Aquinas Institute, The Third World Center, and Stevenson Hall. If I had to choose one, I guess it would be the Aquinas Institute. I have always been involved in the music ministry at our local Catholic Church, singing and accompanying myself with my guitar. I found that at Aquinas I felt closer to home. I joined a small group that began providing music for a midnight Mass at the Chapel each Saturday night. Afterwards, we would go Chancellor Hall for fellowship, hot chocolate and cookies. I made many meaningful relationships there and relish those memories. In addition, I sang at the 10:30 Mass at one of the building on campus. I was able to meet with families of the Princeton community and developed friendships with some of the families in the area. The Third World Center was important because it was where “people of color” gathered for various events. We had dances, shared food, developed friendships and shared stories. I have numerous friends who were part of that community and who remain in contact occasionally. Stevenson Hall is important because I worked at Commons when I was a freshman at Princeton. While I was working at Commons, a close friend told me he heard of an opportunity to work at Stevenson Hall and told me I maybe should consider working there with him. We both ended up working there for at least 2 years, and I joined when I became a junior. I loved working there and eating there, so I became the social coordinator. We had many fun events such as movie night: a movie with sandwiches, desserts and drinks. My most memorable event was planning our final grand finale our senior year. I received permission from the university to reserve the boat house near the lake, and we set up lights, put up tables, added a dance floor, hired a band, and had the time of our life. I also learned quite a bit about the Jewish Community at Princeton since Stevenson Hall had a Kosher side at the time I was working there.
2. What was a defining (or pivotal) moment of your life?
I am assuming there that you are asking about a defining moment of my life at Princeton. At Princeton, I think this would have to be my sophomore year. I was getting along okay, but my performance academically was not up to my expectations. I was lost as to what to do to remedy the situation. Finally, I had a nervous breakdown. I ended up in the infirmary for a while. I kept up with the classes I had and ended up finishing the semester. I also went to counseling which helped immensely. In my opinion, the nurses at the infirmary were angels from heaven. They cared for me as if I were part of their family. I am so grateful that they came into my life at such a pivotal time in my life. I returned home for the summer working at a work study job at the New Mexico Tumor Registry. There I began to gain back my confidence and decided to return to Princeton for my junior year. I worked with the university to come up with a course of study that I could finish in the years I had remaining. I ended up getting a BA in Biology with a Certificate in Science in Human Affairs.
This was a pivotal time because I had to decide what I wanted to do in light of the barriers I encountered at Princeton and come up with a plan that allow me to graduate from Princeton in a disciple that I wanted to pursue. I believe that the Lord intervened because things started falling into place. I wrote my thesis with data I was able to obtain from my work study job at the New Mexico Tumor Registry. My love of data analysis and epidemiology grew out of this experience.
3. How did your personal identity shape your Princeton experience?
This is a very good question. Before I left for Princeton, my father gave me some advice. He told me that I was going to encounter people who are going to judge me on the way I looked, the way I spoke and the way I dressed. He continued by saying, “You have to be yourself. If after getting to know you, they still reject who you are, move on. They are not worth your time.” I remembered his words always. As you can see to my answer first question, I was involved in several different and many times distinct communities at Princeton. I learned about the differences in each of them and cherished what each of them taught me about their experiences. I tried to keep an open mind and tried not to judge others based on their color or ideologies.
I myself come mostly from Spanish, Mexican, Native American and Portuguese descent. I never thought of myself anything but American. I found that at Princeton I was defined as “Chicano.” My father hated it. He said that I was born in the United States and that I was a US Citizen. Please keep in mind that my father fought in World War II along with my uncle who was killed in the war. He was extremely patriotic and knew what price many paid for our freedom. At the same time, I know that everyone has had different experiences and their ideologies are shaped by them.
In the end, I think that my father’s words were the best advice I would have received. I tried not to judge anyone I met and always gave them the benefit of the doubt. I even ended up having a roommate from the Cape Cod area my Junior year, since I decided to go back after roommates had already been chosen. I had trouble finding a room because everyone who had a triple and ended up having one empty bed, wanted it to stay that way and really did not want a roommate to join the triple. Finally, I came across two seniors in Brown Hall who were in a triple. Each had their own room, with a living room in between. One of the them told me that she had been in the same predicament the previous year, so she offered to share the double room with me. I accepted. She was from a legacy family who went to a boarding school, private schools, and did sailing, etc. We had absolutely nothing in common, but we were roommates. She kept her beautiful wool sweaters and boat shoes neatly in place with her scarfs and gloves. She was sweet and accommodating. One day, I received flowers from my family for Easter. She then told me we needed to talk. I was wondering if I did something wrong. She then said that I was so lucky so have such a thoughtful family. They always sent me letters and small gifts to let me know that they missed me and loved me very much. She then revealed to me that she lost her mother when she was young, and her father had sent her to boarding school. She intimated that she missed the love and affection from a loving family. I was astounded. Here I thought she had it all. We both learned that we both had something each other did not have, but we were blessed in different ways. Sometimes being out of your comfort zone affords you to experience things that would never have been possible.
4. If you could relive your time at Princeton, what would you do differently?
I would seek advice earlier on what to do to keep up with the academic challenges I was facing. There was a lot of pressure to do well, especially since there were not many women at Princeton at the time and fewer were women of color. Maybe taking some courses during the summer when I was home may have helped me. Maybe getting a tutor or study partner would have worked. When I was in Medical School, I partnered with a study partner, and it helped immensely. Also, maybe going to the gym to exercise would have relieved some of the stress that I was experiencing along with the demands of work. Perhaps if someone had recommended counseling, I could have understood what I was going through, since this was my first time away from home and my family.
5. If you could relive your time at Princeton, what would you keep the same?
I think that everything that I was part of in question 1 would remain the same. Being part of these different groups helped me grow as a person. I was able to experience the world differently from meeting so many different students from so many cultures and backgrounds. That is what makes Princeton such a great place to go to college.
6. What part of your life are you most proud of?
I would have to say that going to Princeton and graduating from there was one of my proudest moments. My family sacrificed quite a bit to send me there. They were so proud when I graduated. My parents drove all the way from Albuquerque to Princeton with my two sisters and my oldest aunt in the family station wagon. I think they looked like the Hillbillies traveling across the country. I thank God for blessing me with such a great opportunity. I thought that after I left Princeton, I would never hear about it again. Little did I know that Coleman Tiley, an alumnus here in Albuquerque, would get me involved in interviewing students applying to Princeton from New Mexico. I have never stopped being involved in this activity ever since returning to New Mexico in 1976. I feel that if I can share with others what Princeton has done for me, perhaps they will go on and share their talents with the world and make it a better place.
I believe that by going through the hardships that I encountered at Princeton I became a more confident, stronger individual. It allowed me to reach my full potential. My mother once told me that before I went to Princeton I hardly spoke, but now she could not stop me from talking.