SPU Stories

I struggle knowing where I fit into these cultures

I am a first-generation college student majoring in Psychology, set to graduate in the spring! I came to Seattle Pacific University as a...

The most important thing was I learned to accept myself.

I grew up in a different kind of household, where things could have been better. My father acted in very controlling ways. My parents had...

I’ve kept on going

My name is Rachel and I am 21 years old from Costa Mesa, California. I’m majoring in English because I love analyzing ideas, talking with...

It’s me who gets to decide who I am

I feel like I’ve definitely grown since my middle school days and I see a lot of change in myself from before I came to the U.S. to now...

The reason why I keep going

When other people see me, they only see the surface, the shy and quiet person I portray. I have immediate family and a small group of...

I hope to grow in this way

Growing up in a firm, Catholic family holds strong expectations. That being said, I try my hardest to meet those expectations. I strive...

I am making sure I’m healthy and happy

I have always been a social person, in school I was a cheerleader and I had a big group of friends. Since I started at Seattle Pacific...

I have your back

My name is Brooklyn Liberato. I was born and raised in Washington. At home, I was an only child but always wished I had siblings. Though...

Finding a balance between the two

I was born in Okinawa, Japan to an American father and a Japanese mother. I grew up in a woman-dominated household with my older brother...

I genuinely feel like I get a sense of joy

People see me as a pushover. They take my kindness for granted. I like to do things for my friends and some people look at that and think...

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We are students at Seattle Pacific University. We designed this blog to challenge stereotypes by giving individuals a chance to speak for themselves, to create their own labels, and to share their own stories. Through the personal narratives of students, staff, and faculty at SPU we hope to celebrate uniqueness and unity, the beautiful truth that here we are many shades of one color: maroon.

Most stories have two photos. The first picture represents what we think people see when they look at us, the stereotypes and labels we have lived with our whole lives. After reading our stories, you can see photos that represent what we wish people could see when they look at us, what they will see when they take the time to hear our stories. These words embody who we are, what our stories have helped us to become, and how we want to be known.