"I was forced to linger on affirmative action and, specifically, the question that had been marinating in the back of my mind for more than a year: Do I really deserve to be here?"
"Before these systems were in place, it seems that my journey would have been highly improbable — not because I was unworthy of it — but because it simply would not have been accessible."
"According to his logic, the college’s admissions committee had overvalued me in the name of institutional diversity. Today, I wonder if he even stopped to consider the merit of my education on its own."
"He didn’t take into account the extraordinary nature of my educational path, and that of others like me, in light of my low-income status or the multigenerational systemic barriers that often come with immigration."
"The boy wanted me, even as he questioned my legitimacy as his intellectual equal. Perhaps even because of it. I wanted him, even after his words made me question my own intellectual legitimacy. I craved the validation."
"As colleges continue their pursuit of diversity, college students — especially those from the boy’s white, privileged echelons — need to believe in the value of diverse campus environments."