My Drive Home

I’m stuck in a routine: 

class, work, drive home, repeat. 

Most days, I drive with reggaetón blasting,

trying to quiet the thoughts that never stop.

Sometimes I talk to myself 

about unfinished work and the next steps ahead.

Somehow, my tired body runs on caffeine and a dream. 

But today’s drive was different. 

My phone died, and the radio was boring.

Silence found me, 

and in that silence, 

I began to think. 

I thought about my life, 

being a first-gen college student, 

and how it has shaped who I am. 

Balancing class, work, and scholarships 

feels suffocating and never-ending. 

Resilience seems like my only inheritance,

and overachieving, perfectionism— 

my twisted ways to survive. 

I thought about the world, 

countless humanitarian crises, 

families destroyed, 

children crying with broken bones. 

Their faces linger in my mind, 

on my screen, everywhere I look. 

I thought about my people: 

brown skin, Spanglish, 

reggaetón, and arroz con habichuelas. 

Things that make us proud. 

Things that make us targets, 

prey to ICE and corrupt policies.

It feels strange 

to be a Latina studying law and justice

when injustice lives next door. 

It feels strange 

to sit in a safe, warm classroom, 

studying for upcoming exams, 

while others fight to survive another day. 

It makes me wonder: 

What can I do as a college student? 

Do I pay attention or look away? 

How do I balance everything? 

Life feels heavy, 

and hardship surrounds me. 

I’m a first-gen college student, 

dreaming not just for myself 

but for my family, 

my people, 

and those whose dreams are silenced by injustice. 

My thoughts run wild, 

but I understand one thing: 

education and awareness are a place to start. 

I read, learn, take action, and speak out,

even when I’m tired and burnt out. 

I work hard to build my future, 

grow my knowledge, 

and help create a better world for everyone. 

As I pull into my driveway, I realize: 

that’s what a college student can do— 

show up and make change, one step at a time.

Coralee Garcia

Coralee Garcia is a senior honors student at Roger Williams University majoring in Legal Studies and Spanish with a minor in Cultural Studies. Raised in Southeastern Massachusetts, she discovered poetry as a space for reflection, healing, connection, and self-expression. Guided by her heritage and a belief in shared human resilience, she embraces writing as a form of collective restoration. She is honored to share this work and hopes it will be the first of many.