Michelle Acosta
Plenty of opportunities ahead
By Christina Edney
As she begins her junior year at Radford University, Michelle Acosta is more than ready for things to get back to normal.
When COVID-19 cut her sophomore year short, she felt unsure what the future might hold. With the reopening of campus, Acosta says she’s excited to move into her University-operated apartment and work with the Latino Student Alliance (LSA) to plan a variety of welcome-back events for students, even though they may look a little different from years past.
“Hispanic Heritage Month is a really big deal for us,” Acosta said. “We always host an annual dinner with a guest speaker. I always like people to know it’s not just Hispanic people who join us — it’s various people from various backgrounds embracing the culture. We’re planning in-person and virtual events, and we cannot wait to see everyone.”
As Acosta gets closer to her 2022 graduation date, she recognizes that this year’s freshman experience is different from years past. Acosta says that it is nothing to be concerned about as there are still plenty of ways to connect with faculty, staff and students.
“It can feel scary to not find people with beliefs and values that align with yours,” she said. “But, there are a lot of groups on campus that help students realize we aren’t alone. LSA, for example, is a safe space for everyone of all different backgrounds. We have a mentee/mentor program where an upperclassman and an underclassman will get paired together through their similar interests, and it’s like you have a best friend. I have a mentee, and whenever she’s in need, it’s unconditional, I’m always here for her.”
When it comes to COVID-19, Acosta says she is looking at the positives. She explains the transition from campus to home gave her a different perspective on education, helping her become more self-sufficient with her studies and communicative with her professors.
“We have to remember what we were doing before all this happened and forced us into this different type of lifestyle; we have to trust that it’s possible to get back there if we are mindful of other people and taking the necessary safety measures. College is hard, especially during times like this, it can be easy to want to give up and lose sight of why we started. We have to remember why we did this to begin with and why we started,” Acosta said.
Acosta is dedicated to continuing her Radford journey with strength and cites the fighting Highlander spirit as her inspiration to rise to the occasion, adjust to the changing times and be resilient against adversity.
