It was at the banquet
In the grand ballroom
Where the conversation
Turned to the topic of struggles
Cruising through the years 
I couldn't remember what memory
Could be defined as a rough struggle
Was I one of the lucky ones?
I had never lived in volatile Neighborhoods,
where triggered Guns and flying bullets
Were the usual
Where sirens replaced phone calls
I hadn't lost someone close to me that left me stranded or helpless, 
I had been fine,
But I knew I had struggled
Then he reminded me that
Our struggles are our own
They didn't have to be that intense
I had been lucky, or had just received good fortune
To just be okay
But I was just struggling
To breathe, to understand why I felt
Helpless, with all our problems
I wished I could just help
But I didn't know how 
Then he told me that I could start
By checking my privilege
I was a Bruin now
What could I do as a student 
To give back to students just like me
How would I be the difference?
He said he wanted to challenge me
He said he could see my potential
He believed in my power 
Conversations like these
touched my inner core
To check my privilege
was to accept my guilt
To deal with my situations
in a way was a domino effect
All I've ever wanted to do was give 
To help people understand 
their own shine and greatness
To pay it forward 
and better the world
That night he helped me understand
how the little things could
Amount and surpass the big ones
To him I say thank you
Thank you for words of wisdom