Even though I have only been living in EC for a month, it feels more like home than any other place I have ever lived. In high school I was content. Not happy, not sad, just content. I fit in as well as I could in a small suburban school and acted “normal.”
When I attended CPW, I was temped in Burton Conner. The people were nice, interesting, and smart. But Burton Conner felt a little like my home town. When I ventured over to EC and was handed a can of spray paint, I knew I had found something different. I didn’t know how to build things, how to code, and had never participated in FIRST robotics. But none of that mattered; everyone was willing to let me explore and try things out. Over three days of CPW I spray painted, soldered, dyed my hair, learned power tool basics, and met amazing people.
There is no “normal” at EC. There are no expectations for how you dress, who you date, or what you spend your free time doing. I have met musicians, computer scientists, video game plays, inventors, climbers, ariel silk performers, and more at EC. I have learned how to use power tools, basic lock-picking, ripsticking, and more in the past month. For someone coming from a small homogenous town, this was the most exciting thing.
Since moving in to EC I have come out of my shell. I have changed how I dress, the color and style of my hair, and the activities I do. I didn’t change to conform. I changed because instead of hiding who I was, I felt free to be me. To be happy. Genuinely happy. I am sure I would be content at Simmons or Next house, but only content. I would still be the same person I was in high school, afraid to to discover who I truly am. EC is already more than a dorm to me. As I continue to learn, explore, and grow as a person, I know EC is a place where I will find friends to teach me new skills, guide me through classes, and be there when I just need a friend. EC is why I chose to attend MIT.