"The types of friendships you make here are fantastic."

Michael - 2010 Saddle River, New Jersey

“I grew up in a small town in North Jersey and went to school in New York across the Tappan Zee Bridge every morning, so all of my friends lived across state lines,” says Michael. “Because of this, I knew very few people in my hometown-which was almost all white, upper-class families.

“Coming to a school where all of your neighbors are your friends was an incredibly uplifting experience. It was very exciting to be on the same hall in my dorm with a boy from Asia or to play tennis with a girl from Saudi Arabia. When I first arrived, I was the opposite of shy, asking probably way too many questions about everyone's culture back home. Each difference between my daily life and theirs was, to me, fascinating.

“Just yesterday, my roommate David, who is from South Korea, was telling me about life in Seoul and the situation in North Korea. I learn something new every day by just hanging out with my friends!”