My name is Lorena Russi. I do not have a middle name. Just Lorena Russi. A first name and a last name. Lorena. Russi. Two words, five syllables, and nine letters that would label me for the rest of my life. Loh-ren-ah Rue-si. Growing up in America with a name like that, you learn quickly that you are different from all the other kids. The decision to raise me in New York, and not in Colombia where both my parents and sister were raised, resulted in me growing into a totally different person. There were always hundreds of Johns, Michaels and Stephanies in my classes, but there was never another Lorena. In school, I could somewhat hide being Hispanic with my white complexion, curly hair and quiet demeanor, but immediately upon hearing my name, the jig would be up. And yet, whenever we would visit my family in Colombia my poor Spanish and americanized demeanor donned me as “un gringo.” It was a difficult situation, to say the least. Here I was juggling between two entirely different cultures; one, which I did not originally belong to, and the other, which I was only exposed to at home. Years have gone by and now I am a Student in the Baruch Honors Program. And with that time my values have grown to encompass not only acceptance, but also a pride in myself. While I may not have grown up where the rest of family did, I learned from a young age to be separate and unique is not always negative. This knowledge has prepared me for the difficult task of being a freshman at Baruch. While it will be a challenge, at least now I will have no problem telling people that my name is Lorena Russi. Two words, five syllables, and 11 letters that have shaped me for the rest of my life.