College years are full of new experiences, and the last few have certainly brought their fair share. We asked members of the Class of 2022 to tell us about one special Fordham moment or memory that they’ll never forget.
Tatiana Hyman, LAW ’22
I will always remember January 31, 2021, which was the day I got the phone call telling me I would be the editor of the Fordham Law Review. It was particularly significant for me because I’m the first Black person to hold that position. I am the daughter of Jamaican immigrants and the first person in my family to go to law school, so accomplishing something like that reassured me that I should never shy away from opportunities that seem daunting. I also thought a lot about students of color who have ever felt that certain seats are unattainable.
Ricardo Andrés Arocha, GSS ’22, M.S.W.
I was able to participate in a new program called the PIPELINE, and there was a monthly seminar where we would hear from people who have worked in the social work field. I will always remember how I got the privilege of a window into each person’s multiyear, and in some cases multi-decade, trajectory. I was able to develop a vision for myself as a social worker moving forward.
Originally, I was thinking I was going to aim to lead an organization, and not take on much of a clinical role. But I realized that I want to spend a few years after graduation honing my clinical skills and getting a license and accreditation. I don’t know that I would have made that choice without hearing those speakers.
Katherine Delehunt, GABELLI ’22, B.S. in Finance
I’ll always remember the last Fordham home football game. There was this big tailgate party beforehand. I remember walking in, and there were people from both Fordham and the opposing school celebrating everywhere. Parents were wearing their Fordham colors, there was tons of food, corn hole, the whole thing. It was a real encapsulation of how you can have the true college experience in the middle of New York City.
Jackson Elliott, PCS ’22 B.A. in English
The best thing I had in my life during the pandemic was Fordham. I will always remember when I realized I could go to school full time. I was doing live events and producing, and there was so much of my work that I couldn’t really do, because everything had shut down due to COVID. I had started working on my degree in 2014 and was just chipping away at it one or two classes at a time. Once the pandemic hit, I thought, “I’m definitely going back.” No one would have wanted something like this to happen, but it offered me the opportunity to finish my degree sooner. The way Fordham handled the pivot to remote was seamless, and I had wonderful experiences.
Natalie Blair, FCLC ’22, B.A. In Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
I am a part of the Office of Multicultural Affairs committee for LGBTQ History Month. We spent the first two months of school planning a whole month of activities, and the end-of-month celebration in October is something I’ll definitely remember. We had such fun decorating the room, we had music playing, dancing, we had empanadas. It was just a real moment of recognition for the hard work that we had done. These people are some of my best friends now, so I really appreciate having the chance to meet them, work with them, and put on great events.
—Reporting and photos by Patrick Verel and Tom Stoelker
