Author Bio

¡Hola a todxs!

My name is Ángel Morataya and I am an undergraduate student enrolled at Brown University. I am aiming to double concentrate in Hispanic Studies and International and Public Affairs (IAPA) with aspirations of one day becoming a politician. As for my personal background, I was born and raised in New Jersey. My mother and father each emigrated with their families from the Dominican Republic and El Salvador, respectively. Despite my dual heritage, I identify myself more with my dominicanidad as a result of the influence my mother’s family has had on my childhood and, now, on my adult years.

In my poem, the narrative centers around my experience as a student of color at a predominantly white school (Delbarton School; Morristown, NJ) after a year of struggling to find my place in the Delbarton community. During my sophomore year, the Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC) –a national convention organized by the National Association of Independent Schools for student leaders of color– helped catalyze my metamorphosis into the proud Latinx student that I am today. After spending a weekend with other Latinx student leaders from around the country, the conference motivated me to not be afraid of painting my own self image while also inspiring others –regardless of their backstory– to also feel comfortable in their own skin.