For the longest time, I understood freedom through the choices people had in front of them. Little things that people often miss reflect this. Sometimes choosing a school, asking a question, entering a room you never expected to be in, or realizing that your path does not have to look exactly like the one you grew up in.
Growing up as a migrant farmworker alongside other relatives shaped that view early. I saw how much someone’s options could depend on money, location, and the people willing to help them move forward. Though I don’t reflect on this every day, the idea always lingers in the background. It made me notice when doors were open, when they were not, and how different life can feel when you create an opportunity or one opens up.
Other experiences widened that idea. Being in the IB program in high school exposed me to classmates who questioned the world differently from me. Cornell expanded even more. Every semester, I meet people with different backgrounds, opinions, and goals, and each conversation gives me something to think about. Some make me more confident in what I believe. Others remind me how much I still do not know. That, in itself, feels truly important: reaching a point where learning more makes you more aware of everything you have yet to understand.
D.C. has added another layer. Here, I have seen people working in government, nonprofits, advocacy, and policy spaces, all looking at problems from different angles. The city has made me think more about how choices are created for people in the first place. A decision made in one office can shape what becomes easier, harder, or even possible for someone else.
I believe my perspective is still mine, but it has definitely become wider. To me, freedom is the ability to keep reaching better opportunities while understanding that access matters. Access to higher education, people willing to help, better information, and spaces where your story can be heard can change the direction of a person’s path.
Blog Author: Freddy Bautista-Molina – Class of 2026
Published on July 23, 2026