Students coming from differing backgrounds will often find their life in college a vastly different experience from their home towns, a situation that will often make them feel uncomfortable. This feeling was effectively captured by Marcus Mabry, a resident assistant at Stanford who is compelled to feel guilty about his poor relatives staying at home. As one with as yet limited experience and career advancement, he cannot change the situation for them dramatically. Even so, sensing that he is on his way to affluence and stability while his family remains in the grips of poverty, he cannot drive away the feeling of helplessness and guilt about having superior opportunities.
His ideas about living in two worlds, a strange feeling experienced by those of a poorer background studying in prestigious schools, extend beyond his personal situation. They are applicable to a large variety of students who come to schools, being selected based on ability rather than family background. Many of these strive for a better life; yet they have to make huge effort to make this happen. Having one’s family on one’s mind both helps and frustrates the effort in a case like that of Marcus Mabry who is driven down by his guilty feelings. My own experience is in many ways similar to that of Marcus: as an international student, I also come from a poor background, although my family lives outside the US; I am also struck by a difference in lifestyle here and there; and I, too, am making an effort to use my education as an opportunity to find a better life for myself and my relatives.
