Jade Sales
Jade Sales is a first-generation senior applied music student at the University of Minnesota — Twin Cities. She is also a part of the neurodivergent and chronically ill communities. She is graduating in May.
“My parents always told me that I’d go to college, which is kind of confusing for me. They encouraged higher education, but only for what they wanted.
I went to a small high school. My graduating class was 52 students. I had a 4.0 GPA and a 34 on the ACT. Everyone was just like, ‘Oh my gosh, you’ve got to go to college.’ I didn’t really know what I wanted to do. My family just kept saying , ‘We think you’ll really like music. You’ll just be so good in music.’ So that’s what I went to college for. My drive for music stopped in the second semester. I kept pushing and it’s my sixth year. I wish someone would have told me that I could have said no to music, or that I could have changed my major. I’m coming out of this going, ‘Well, I didn’t really enjoy college. I didn’t really enjoy my bachelor’s degree or this experience at all.’ I’d maybe go for a master’s degree later, but in a different field.
I think there’s a lot I’m discovering about myself right now that I never really had the opportunity to, because I was too busy trying to survive. I am in the process of getting an autism diagnosis, and I’m currently part of a neurodivergent community. I’m also chronically ill and now I use a mobility aid. I don’t know that I’ll always be sick, but I’ve been sick for about 14 years now. I’d also say I’m just a positive person because I don’t think that I’d still be here if I wasn’t.
When I was in high school, I ran a 5K every morning. When I started college in 2018, within the first six months, I became bedridden at least twice a week, so I couldn’t really run anymore. Yesterday, I did seated Tai Chi, but it was the first time I had done really any movement of any type in years, and it felt really good. It’s a moment of joy because it was one of the rare good days of having a chronic illness. It’s one of the unique perspectives that being chronically ill gives me. My average day is typically the worst day anyone could ever imagine, right? So I do think I have the odd perspective of appreciating things even more. Maybe I just appreciate things more because I actually just can’t take them for granted.
I don’t really want to share about joy. I do think it’s important to highlight that my experience is directly related to being a first-gen student at this university and has been highly traumatic. I felt really unsupported in the process of what a college student looks like here. It’s been difficult and it didn’t feel fully explained and I felt unsupported. My hope is that people will maybe realize that there are more resources available, or that the university will potentially make those resources more understood and available.”
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Interview by Fiona Curran