Jimmy Weseman

Photography by Greer Diaz

If you’re reading this, you belong.  

Throughout my life, I have sometimes felt like an outsider. In high school, I struggled with such brutal acne that I hated the way I looked. I remember hating the guy in the mirror, trying to avoid photos, and feeling my face stinging from the mixture of sweat and acne when I worked out. I decided that the best way to cope with it was to dive into school and sports. I worked my ass off, got great grades, and did well in my sport, cross country. Cross country is interesting because technically it is a “team sport” but it felt quite different to me. Running alone was when I could be away from everyone, and just be alone with my thoughts. Safe to say, running and school were an excellent coping mechanism for me, and it definitely served me in the long run. That being said, I never faced the inherent problems directly, and although my acne had cleared up by the time college rolled around, I kept some of that baggage with me. In college, I found excellent access to my new coping mechanism: alcohol. I found out that it was tough to feel like an outsider when you are black out drunk. This fun new hobby resulted in a free ride in the back of a cop car to a “drunk tank”. After that experience, I leaned on my friends and family to put the pieces back together. Going home for winter break allowed me to reset and spend some much-needed time with my family. Coming back from winter break, I decided to get more involved. I joined some organizations, and I met the best group of friends. These guys made me finally feel like I belonged, and I could not feel more grateful about meeting them. To this day, these are some of my best friends and will be for life. Getting involved truly changed my life and helped me find my community.  

As for you, are you going through a tough time? College isn’t treating you the way you expected? I encourage you to lean on your friends and family. Be open about how you are feeling because there is no reason to keep that inside. Get involved. Meet new people. Say hi to a stranger. The next person you meet could change your life for the better. We all might feel like an outsider sometimes, but just know that you do belong. It will all work out in the end.

Jimmy W., University of Wisconsin

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