Donnell Wright
Photography by Cat White
If you are reading this, success looks different to everyone. You are successful.
I remember processing this statement, attempting to compartmentalize all my experiences and “convince” myself that what I had done in high school and college was indeed successful. This internal conflict and conversation with myself took months and, honestly, years, and I have finally embraced the reality that I, too, am successful. If you are reading this, success looks different to everyone. You, too, are successful.
My name is Donnell Wright, and I am the Program Director for the CORE Scholars Program at the University of Virginia. I am a first-generation student from the South Side of Chicago and a Double Hoo, receiving my Bachelor's in 2016 and my Master's in May 2023 from UVA. I arrived in Charlottesville with unforeseen mountains of uncertainty. Uncertainty that I would fit in, find friends, or be able to define myself. I was lost in the sauce and longed for a community to embrace me for who I was and see me for who I was to become. My accent, my stories, and even my clothes set me apart. I faced academic pressures, cultural misunderstandings, and moments of profound loneliness during my first year of undergrad; and evenmore, when I got my first “big” job out of college. This search for belonging impacted how I defined success and my worth on these prestigious “grounds.” Was being known through the various black mouths that spanned the Office of African American Affairs my definition of success? Was figuring it out and not asking for help academically and personally my definition of success? Was washing out my connection to Chicago to connect with everyone from “NOVA” my definition of success? Lastly, I questioned if simply attending and foreseeably graduating from UVA was my definition of success. All these questions kicked and pushed through my mind, continuing to skate until I settled on the answer. Sometimes, I wanted to give up, pack my bags, and return to the familiarity of home. Instead, I decided to redefine what success meant for me. Success became about perseverance, about showing up every day despite the odds. It was in the late-night study sessions, the small victories in the classroom, and the friendships I formed with people who, at first glance, seemed so different from me. Success was in the moments when I embraced my identity and shared my story, realizing that my voice and experiences added value to the UVA community.
So, to all of you reading this, know that your journey is valid. Your struggles are part of your success story. Embrace your uniqueness, celebrate your victories, no matter how small, and remember that you are successful simply by being here and striving towards your goals. I leave you with this excerpt from one of my favorite poems, “Don’t Quit” by Edgar A. Guest:
“When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
when the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
when the funds are low and the debts are high,
and you want to smile but you have to sigh,
when care is pressing you down a bit - rest if you must, but don't you quit.”
Donnell Wright CORE Scholars Program Coordinator, University of Virginia
Connect With Us
To follow IfYoureReadingThis at UVA on Instagram, get in touch with our chapter, and learn about more resources available to University of Virginia students, visit our chapter’s homepage.
AUTHOR CONTACT
This author has opted to allow readers who resonate with their story to contact them. If you would like to speak to the author of this letter about their experience, please use the form below.