By Carlineissa Jean Francois ’27
Growing up, I always thought of home as a place shared with my biological family. My home was filled with the hustle and bustle of cooking in the kitchen, dinner parties with extended family, and weekends spent at my aunt’s house.
When I moved to California to attend college, I felt very homesick at first. During my first semester, I was a bit closed off and didn’t go out much, explore the campus, or engage with others. Most nights, I stayed in my room watching shows and talking to my roommate. I didn’t feel comfortable enough yet to step out of my comfort zone.
I was in a new place with people I didn’t know, and it was honestly nerve-racking. I would call my godmother throughout the week, and she’d always ask the same question: “Have you found your tribe yet?” She explained that college is where you find your tribe. Not just a group of friends, but a tight-knit web of people in your inner circle.
They’re more than friends; they’re the family you create, the people you’d trust with your life, the ones who know you better than anyone and accept you with all your flaws. It took a while before I found my tribe. I knew two people whom I considered family here on campus, and I spent my entire first year with them. I was content with having just those friends.
But in the spring of my sophomore year, I formed two unexpected new friendships. One was a girl I’d taken my freshman seminar with, and we didn’t get close until the end of the fall term. The more time I spent with her, the more I realized we had similar interests, and I always felt I could be myself wholeheartedly around her.
After a few more hangouts, she introduced me to her roommate. Her roommate and I clicked instantly, and I discovered we share the same taste in music, which always gave us something to talk about. Soon, the four of us started spending time together. Most of my time was spent studying with them, driving through the mountains, weekend target runs, and attending campus festivities. I had found my tribe.
Toward the end of my spring semester, one of the affinity groups on campus hosted an event. My friends couldn’t make it, so I ended up going alone. Nonetheless, I was determined to have a good time.
While there, a girl I had never met approached me. She immediately introduced herself and asked which college I attended. I didn’t know what made us connect, but I spent the rest of the event with her—exchanging social information and discussing everyone’s weekend plans from then on. Slowly but surely, she became one of my favorite people and meshed well with my friends.
By the end of my first year, I found my tribe. I had five close friends that I wouldn’t trade for the world. They became my home away from home. I spent Thanksgiving with them, their parents treated me like one of their own, and we went on our first group trip together.
My godmother was right, I found my tribe. They are people I love and adore, and I wouldn’t change them for anything in the world.