When I was 16 years old, I immigrated from the Philippines to the United States. I was leaving everything I had ever known. The country where I was born. The classmates I had known since kindergarten. The language, culture, weather, food, routines, memories, and people who shaped the first 16 years of my life. And somehow… Those 16 years had to fit inside one luggage. One. I couldn’t even fill it. I grew up poor, so I didn’t have many clothes to bring. Most of what I packed were hand-me-downs. We were immigrating around October, and I was told winter in the United States would be cold. But I lived in the Philippines. I didn’t have winter clothes. So my family and I bought one outfit that could help me survive the cold when we landed. I wore it on the entire 16-hour plane ride. A white long-sleeve turtleneck. A thick light-brown corduroy dress. No real jacket. No big sweater. Just that. 🧳 But inside that one luggage, I packed something more important than clothes. I packed letters. Goodbye letters from lifelong friends. Friends I had known since elementary school. Friends who had grown up beside me. Friends who knew parts of me that the people in my new country would not know yet. I packed pictures, too. Not albums, because they were too heavy. Just selected photos. Faces I didn’t want to forget. Moments I wanted to remember. Pieces of my past I wanted to carry into my future. That one luggage held more than belongings. 👉 It held context. It held who I was. And when I arrived in the United States, I entered a completely new environment. New country. New culture. New school. New people. New language rhythms. New expectations. I started high school as a junior. I didn’t know anyone. And again and again, people asked me: “Where are you from?” “How do you know how to speak English?” “Is your family here too?” “What was it like where you grew up?” I had to introduce myself over and over again. And even though I knew English, I quickly realized I had mostly learned academic English.

What a way to kick things off. 🥳 @Sara Fredrick, thank you for showing up and bringing your energy. And if you missed it, no worries at all — the recording is already inside the Classroom tab here. Start there whenever you're ready. I also attached the recording here so it's easier for you to watch. PRO TIP: Watch it at 1.5x speed to save time. Here's what's coming up: 🤗 Day 1: AI Gets Me — Tuesday, May 19 at 10am CT (NOTE: This is the only 10 am start time.) 💻 Day 2: AI Gets My Work — Wednesday, May 20 at 11am CT 🤩 Day 3: AI Gets My Goals — Thursday, May 21 at 11am CT Before we get there, I'd love to know... 💬 What is ONE thing you're hoping AI will understand about YOU after this lab? Drop it in the comments. This is your warm-up. 🥰