Nora Snyder: ‘It’s scary for me.’
Nora Snyder is a high schooler studying at the University of Minnesota through the PSEO program, hoping to major in biological engineering.
“I take some classes at my high school, and I take some here. I wanted to come here because my school didn’t offer Calculus II, and I needed to take more math classes. I also just wanted to take college-level STEM classes, and I wanted to experience being on a college campus as a high schooler. I really love how big the campus is. There are so many places to go and study, and so many things to do. My high school is a normal-sized high school, but this is so much bigger, and there are so many people of so many different backgrounds.
“I live about 15 minutes south of here. When it comes to Operation Metro Surge, my parents are very involved in activism. My brother, a freshman at Macalester College, is constantly at protests, so we got him a bulletproof vest, a gas mask, goggles and a helmet just because he’s really into it and we wanna make sure he’s safe. It’s an unbelievable circumstance, having to worry about his safety at events like that. My dad’s really into mutual aid and doing a lot of fundraising for people who are trapped in their houses.
“We have a family friend who commutes to Augsburg University every day, and there has been ICE waiting outside her apartment for her family. So we’ve been transporting her to school every day to help her be safe. One time, my dad even had to block a car so that an agent couldn’t open her door and grab her.
“The impact ICE has had on people my age is really big. I was talking to a friend who was saying that her baby cousin was scared because they didn’t know where their friends had gone, because they were just too scared to go to elementary school. I think it’s having a really big impact on education, especially. It’s true that online school is a thing, but it’s so different from going to school in person, and you learn so much more going to school in person. It’s just devastating for students who are trying to learn. It’s scary for me too, because I’m worried for my family’s safety. I’m worried about my brother, I’m worried about my dad, who’s out working from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. trying to help people. I’m worried about my family friends who might get taken on campus if I mess up picking her up. It’s just a constant state of anxiety, especially in my household since we’re such an active family.”
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Interview by Hannah Kovnar
