"So here’s to you Mom  

For all of those years

For taking care of the scrapes

For wiping away tears"

"Even as an intern, it was amazing to see my input incorporated into press releases and national campaigns; for the first time, I could see the impact of my work. I began to revel in our political process and our history as Americans. Our country: a country of immigrants, of opportunity, of sacrifice. . ."

"I remember wondering if people I walked past would notice that I had become softer. I had spent 10 months at a university where I could walk and not worry about getting mugged, shot, or stabbed, but in Queens, those were common events . . . " - Garfield Maitland jr.

"I wanted to go back and remove the obstacles that prevented my childhood friends from achieving their full potential . . ."

"My college experience has been challenging, enchanting, and at times unbearable, but my personal transformation has been invaluable. . ."

"I realized that coming to a place like Cornell University wasn’t about me fitting into a different culture, but rather about me sharing the aspects of my own culture that made me special, and embracing the variety of cultures Cornell opened to me and making it a part of who I am . . ."