My name is Iftekhar Rahman. This is my second semester at Baruch College. Although this is my second semester at Baruch, this is my first semester entirely in-person. I am majoring in finance. The reason why I choose this photograph is that it defines where I come from. The image of a number seven train is taken in Sunnyside, Queens. Queens is the borough where I commute from daily to attend Baruch. To me, Queens is more than a home; it’s also a family. The diverse background of the community always has its way of making me feel like I belong here.
Whenever I look at this picture, I am reminded of how I used this specific train every day to get to my high school. It seems like it was years ago, but it was only a few months in reality. This picture of the seven trains holds so many memories for me, from my first time commuting alone to my first day in high school. I used this specific train line throughout my years in high school. This train has taken me on a wild adventure, from delays to making friends while commuting. Today, whenever I commute using this line and see others, I think how diverse Queens is. The seven train services beings from Flushing (a heavily Asian populated area) then travel to Corona (a heavily Latin populated place). Seeing all these different faces makes me think about how I’m just one of many commuting from Queens, and each commuter has their own stories that we are not aware of.