# @montclairstateu on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/BZoqO2QHfCp
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/75654022-montclairstateu-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/f106075e7c.jpg
- **Posted:** 2017-09-29T18:39:45.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Montclair State U (@montclairstateu) — https://gondola.cc/montclairstateu

## Caption

#Repost redhawksofmontclairstate #RedHawkFriday
・・・
Five years ago, I was living in Aleppo, Syria. Today, I am a student at MSU. Life is unpredictable and loves to catch you off-guard. When I first came to America, I was clueless about my future, worried and honestly, a little bit scared. Each day I tried to look at things from a positive perspective. Being born and raised in Aleppo, I struggled finding an identity for myself in a place I was not familiar with. I was anxious about my language skills, despite being proficient in English. I feared approaching people and talking to them. The process of adaptation was never easy. I tried to find answers to questions like "Who am I?" and "Who will I be?" My life had suddenly changed. I did not have friends to talk to, to ask about their day or even about their well-being. In situations like this, you realize that you should never take anything in life for granted. Before transferring to MSU, I was one of those students who did not want to get involved on campus, at all. Eventually, I realized that I needed to get involved, meet and talk to new people and make some new friends. As soon as I became a Red Hawk, I started searching for opportunities on campus. This summer, I was a Peer Leader here at Montclair State. I had the opportunity to meet new students and I am very glad that I was a part of their journey here at Montclair. Life taught me to set my own rules and follow them. We are all painters and our lives are our canvas. We have the authority to choose what to paint and have the freedom to choose the colors we want to paint with. It may take time, we may fail multiple times, but remember that every little thing, every obstacle we face, helps us to become who we are today and who we will become tomorrow!
#RHOMS #RedHawkPride #CarpeDiem #SeizeTheDay #GetInvolved #PaintYourCanvas #RedHawkLife - Maral (Mar) Tutunjian (22) from Bergenfield, NJ - Senior majoring in Psychology with a minor in Leadership - I want to go on a Europe tour with just a backpack and a camera. I want to explore different cultures, food and life!

## Stats

- **Views:** 0
- **Likes:** 181
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- **Comments:** 2

## Tags

rhoms, carpediem, redhawklife, redhawkfriday, getinvolved, redhawkpride, paintyourcanvas, repost, seizetheday

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