Streetwise — Chapter 2: Getting Out

1. 1. The author grew up in East New York, Brooklyn, with the goal of escaping poverty and being the first in his family to attend college.
2. 2. He was accepted to Harvard after an interview at the Harvard Club, where he instinctively code-switched to impress the interviewer.
3. 3. His sister Jacky, a single mother, accompanied him on a Greyhound bus to visit Harvard, an act of support despite her own struggles.
4. 4. At Harvard, he felt insecure and out of place, with roommates from privileged backgrounds who mocked his courses and called him short.
5. 5. He worked 15 hours a week in the dining hall and struggled financially, but Harvard's financial aid office gave him a $500 check without questions when he said he was broke.
6. 6. He joined the swim team tryout but was far behind recruited Olympic-level swimmers, and later put his foot through a rowing shell, fearing he couldn't pay for the damage.
7. 7. He experienced a sophomore slump, getting a C in constitutional law and feeling anomie between his Brooklyn roots and Harvard world.
8. 8. He was saved by religious Christian roommates Dave Grizzle and Mark Campisano, who invited him into their group and helped him regain focus.
9. 9. He graduated with honors in General Studies after a last-minute thesis submission, but felt he didn't fully take advantage of Harvard's opportunities.
10. 10. He argues that a liberal arts education is valuable for becoming a complete person, disagreeing with Peter Thiel's grants for dropping out of college.