Episode 1: Lissa Frometa Paulino, Fenway High, 2019

Lissa was raised to ignore the parts of herself that were Black, instead acknowledging only her Dominican heritage. But that changed when the foster care system put her with a family that was proud of their roots, forcing her to confront her own internalized biases about race. In her college essay, “Trips,” Lissa takes listeners on a journey of identity through art, literature, and hairstyles.