Jillian

Jill read the information one more time about her freshman dorm. Her room mate, Christina Ho, didn't sound like she was Black. Jill had been excited to attend Gullah State as she thought it would remind her of her childhood in Africa. She had been so young she barely remembered the details, but it was all she had of her memories of her father before the divorce. After the divorce he had become so distant and refused to see Jill or her mother. As a result Jill, the oldest of the five kids, had to step up and help with raising her siblings. She felt like she had missed out on the fun of youth and hoping college would be different.

Ochun Hall was the all girls freshman dorm. Her mother had specifically requested that she not live in a dorm with other guys. "You're not ready to be around men!" her mother kept lecturing her. Jill recognized that it was important to protect herself from being ruined before marriage, but still wanted to make friends in college. But she could do that in the all girls dorm just as easily as a coed dorm!

"You must be Christina!" she exclaimed as she walked into the room. There on one of the beds was a thin little Asian girl typing on a laptop.

"Hi, you must be Jillian," Christina responded, seeming to jump in surprise at the voice.

"You can call me Jill! I'm so excited to be your room mate this year!"

"I'm sure we will be best of friends," Christina responded with a smile. Jill knew it, she was going to make so many friends!

"Sorry I'm late, I always seem to run behind schedule. I heard there was a mixer on the main floor that's about to start, do you want to go down?"

She waited for Christina to respond. Hopefully Christina would say yes. But maybe Christina wanted to do something else to get to know her new room mate first. Perhaps if she pauses too long Jill could jump in and offer another suggestion.