At 11 years old I was diagnosed with Celiacs disease. My love for things like oreos, cookie dough ice cream and bagels had to stop because my body could no longer digest the protein food in gluten.

In February of this year, the story of Virginia Governor Ralph Northam’s alleged participation in a photograph featuring a person in blackface made national headlines, and the calls for his immediate resignation arrived soon after. It is now April, and Northam is still the governor of Virginia.

Students entering college for the first time are excited for what should be one of the greatest times of their lives. Instead, they quickly learn that keeping up with all that is expected of a college student is quite a daunting task.

Four and a half years ago I was only focused on college.

There is a famous line in the classic film “The Wizard of Oz” that strikes me every time I hear it: “Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.”