Student Spotlight
ADUNA NEWSLETTER – MAY 2025 ISSUE
“If your dreams don’t scare you, may be they’re not big enough”
May 2025 Issue
Hi, my name is Xiomara Larkin. I’m a senior at Penn State University, graduating this fall with a degree in Political Science with a minor in History. I got into Penn State in 2021, in part thanks to the support received from the people at Aduna.
I was part of one of Aduna’s first cohorts. It was during the Covid lockdown, but it didn’t stop us. We met on zoom. The team at Aduna encouraged me to follow my dreams and made sure I understood the college application process. They also assisted me in fine tuning my personal essay, endeavoring to make it more authentic.
My 3 pieces of wisdom
As you prepare for college:
1- Embrace your new life: In college, you’ll be surrounded by people of all walks of life, races, cultures and viewpoints. Do not see it as a hindrance, it’s a gift. Embrace it and make the best of it.
2- Keep it balanced: Learn that to be successful at school, you don’t have to do everything, be part of every single club or activity. Chose the ones that are most aligned with your goals. Keep it balanced.
3- Dream big: “If your dreams don’t scare you, may be they’re not big enough”. Do not limit yourself. Do not let others dictate our choices. Allow yourself to expand, to go for your biggest dream.
Thanks, Aduna and best of luck to all of you!
