A Story Centering Connection

Like many My Story Matters: LISTEN scholars, Earl Bumagat was one of the first in his family to attend college. Excited to explore the world and with the goal of eventually settling in New York City, Earl now attends Rochester University in New York State. He has fully embraced the experience of being so far from home as an opportunity to deepen existing connections and make new ones:

“I’m the first one in my family to go out of state or even apply to go to private institutions. That meant, in part, that I had to build new connections and strengthen existing ones over the time that I was gone. I think before I left to go here for orientation week, I threw a party with my friends. That was one of the highlights of my life just because I didn’t realize a lot of my friends would show up. Some had school the next day, some had work, but they showed up. That really reminded me of how much I’m loved and how deep the connections I’ve formed were. I don’t think about those things often. It still reminds me, to this day.”

Though nervous in his first week of school,  Earl wasted no time when it came to making new connections in his new home.

“When I got off the plane, that was pretty hard. It was a true independence moment and I had to figure it out on my own. It was hard to make connections at first but I had to put myself out there and get out of my comfort zone. I ran for class council and even though the campaign happened three weeks after school started and no one knew me, I won. We help set goals for our class and plan major events. This is now my second year serving as Vice President. I get to know the events are actually being impactful since the events are geared towards fun and stress relief. I eventually applied to be a student ambassador for this school and orientation leader because I really enjoyed that experience and wanted to bring that to the next class. A lot of things I’m involved with were rooted in a special experience I had that I wanted to share with others.”

While Earl has continued trying new things and meeting new people, the experience of being away also showed him the strength and quality of relationships at home and cultural connections. 

“At first, it was hard to stay in touch with people. Everyone is busy, folks are now in different time zones. That taught me to appreciate and love the low maintenance relationships that stay the same even if we don’t see each other for a year. My close fiends and family didn’t change our connection—and we even missed each other more. I also joined the leadership of the Filipino Club here at Rochester.  love it because I get to share my culture but also stay connected with it, because I don’t want to lose sight of it. Bonus: one of the members knows how to cook Filipino food (and there’s none here in Rochester) and it is a highlight for me.”

Nearly four years after his experience with PLUS ME, our team is beyond proud to know that the story-building work we did with and for Earl has served him well in these formative years. 

“That was one of the moments where I learned a lesson of it’s ok to be vulnerable and tell my story. I really applied that to the college application process, personal statements, and as a way to connect with and bridge to others. To know that is ok to be yourself and model vulnerability for others. That was a good, strong base to start from. The relationship building is a huge skill I got through that process and I know it’ll be applied throughout the rest of my life.”

We wish Earl the very best in the next two years of college—and an upcoming internship in New York City! His bravery in bringing his full self to a new environment, using his storytelling skills to invite others to be open to new connections, and exuberance for building community is deeply inspiring.