When I first stepped into the world college opened for me, I never knew how close I was to becoming someone entirely new.
As a first-generation student on a full-ride to WashU, I had always carried a quiet character born through hard work, prayers, and an unspoken pressure of being the “first.” In high school, that strength worked. I kept my head down, excelled on paper, and let my achievements speak for me.
I was a quiet success, but I knew it couldn’t last forever. It had nothing to do with failure, but I knew the spaces I would be stepping into demanded far more. These rooms required my voice, my presence, and a willingness to be seen.
I had the work ethic to ace a test. What I didn’t know I needed was the confidence to claim the best of the rest.
That’s when LEDA entered in the summer of freshman year. Never replacing who I was, but drawing out who I could become.
Sure, I was given college resources, but I was also guided on learning how to use them. I would have been happy with gaining a network, but LEDA showed me how to belong in one.
That was my LEDA leap.
I cannot point to one dramatic moment, but rather a series of nudges, conversations, and affirmations that told me I never need to change who I am to thrive. But I did need to trust who I was becoming. LEDA bridged my flimsy college mentality and where I now stand, with a stronger self-awareness to connect and contribute with those around me.
But getting grounded is only the beginning.
Fear still whispered that I was one question away from being exposed.
For years, that kind of fear had a way of keeping me still. It hid behind silence when everyone else seemed to have their “why.” It made me trade anticipation for anxiety before introducing myself and taking up space.
My LEDA cohort met me in that fear by restoring what fear often takes away: clarity (who I am), confidence (what I can do), and community (what I can have).
Through one-on-one conversations, peer-led spaces, and even something as simple as the power of representation, I slowly started to shed that inner doubt. In the Career Institute, I was learning how to trust my presence in the room.
And most importantly, I stopped trying to be “someone else” in order to “succeed.” I found myself to be the student with a story worth telling, the first-gen scholar who didn’t need permission to lead, and the young person whose quiet beginnings were a powerful part of the narrative.
That’s what LEDA did for me. It helped me find myself along the way to success.
For a long time, I thought I had to choose: stay rooted in where I came from, or reach for where I wanted to go.
LEDA says it can be both.
My identity grounds me. And LEDA helped me see how those roots could steady my reach. And through that ownership, I began to stretch.
LEDA saw me connect the dots between my quiet beginnings and high-achieving aspirations. The way I spoke about my dreams changed because I began to believe I belonged in the places I aspire to be. Who would have known the very things that made me feel ‘unworthy’ were the things that made me stand out?
That’s what LEDA gave me: the professional development was amazing, but the personal affirmation unlocked everything else.
I learned to hold space for both my roots and my reach. And as I stretched, I saw I was in good company.
Now, I walk into rooms not to prove I belong, but to offer what I bring. That’s what it means to flourish. Moving forward anyway, fear and all.
LEDA didn’t simply watch me walk through.
In the years since the Career Institute, LEDA still walks with me and opens doors!
And if you’re reading this, maybe it’s your turn now. To take that first step. To tell your story. To build your bridge. To begin your breakthrough.
Take it from someone who has faced fear arriving to and through college. If I can do it, so can you. And thanks to LEDA, you don’t have to do it alone.