ALEXANDRA GILES
Assistant Photo Editor
It seems that every other day, the cultural sands we stand on shift, forcing us to adjust our footing and understanding of our collective place in the world.
With my final contribution to The Leader, I want to share my experiences with change and how I eventually learned to embrace it.
When I was younger, change seemed to be a distant concept. Living in the sleepy Canisteo valley meant I was isolated from most of the changes influencing the wider world. My former high school classmates often called it the “most boring town” in the entire state. I enjoyed the comfort of consistency for a number of years during high school. That’s until I reached my senior year, 2020.
As the classroom conversations changed from the daily gossip to post-graduate plans, I realized that many of my wonderful classmates would be leaving my world forever. I had become complacent with the high school ecosystem and was now under threat of losing so many connections. I vowed to spend the rest of the year focusing on connecting myself to my teachers and classmates.
This was all well and good until the COVID lockdown occurred.
With the whole town going remote, it became impossible to form any lasting connections. After a socially-distanced graduation ceremony, I said my goodbyes and shifted my focus towards Fredonia.
I attempted to follow the same methods I developed during high school and by the end of the Fall 2020 semester, I was completely burnt out. I had left little time for myself or the possible friends in my courses. I needed to make a change.
In the spring, I decided to join a few clubs, one such club being WNYF Television. There. I learned how to collaborate with others to create wonderful shows. My schedule did become unwieldy at times, and trying to balance production schedules with my academics proved to be a great challenge. In the end it was worth it, because I found great value in the friends and shows we made together.
Even with my newfound happiness from the TV station, I realized there was still something amiss. While I was proud of the work I was creating in and outside of the classroom, I wasn’t happy with the name attached with them. More importantly, I had finally come to understand that I wasn’t happy with the body I was born with.
I needed to change myself.
With the encouragement of my sister Rachel, my friends and co-workers at WNYF, I decided to embrace my true name, Alexandra. I haven’t looked back since.
Changing yourself can be the hardest thing in the world. The fear of judgment from peers and the uncertainty of something new can be paralyzing. It froze me for many years in high school. Once I arrived at Fredonia, I realized that the world continues to shift with time and being simply content the current state of life would never last. To become the woman I’ve always wanted to be, I had to grow against that uncertainty until it became known.
As a photographer for The Leader, I see people fighting their uncertainties and winning all over this great campus. I’ve captured moments where people are taking that first step, whether that be getting on stage for standup, or voicing their opinion during model EU conferences.
Looking back on my experiences here, I’ve come to understand that change is incredibly important to the health of the individual. Without it, I would still be the same quiet kid who didn’t know what her place would be in the world.
Through support by friends, practice and action, growth can happen.
I am so grateful for my time here at Fredonia for helping me find my own way, and I hope the same for you, dear reader.
Thank you for time,
Alexandra R Giles