Ocean Vuong

But it was because I was too ashamed.

I would prefer to be homeless than go home and say, Ma, all your dreams... Because I knew she had... I knew, even though she said, don't worry about it.

I knew she had dreams for me.

I couldn't face her and say, all that is over.

So shame is a powerful thing.

If you can transform your shame into action...

and then motivation, it could be the foundation for you to alter your sense of self.

Every semester this happens?

Oh my goodness, especially in the creative arts.

We have students who come from all over the world.

You know, some of the most exciting work in anglophonic literature right now is coming out of India and Nigeria.

And I have a lot of students from India, Nigeria.

And boy, you know, imposter syndrome runs very, very deep.

And here they are in NYU.

They're following their dreams.

Meanwhile, these are the students that's most successful ones.

They're like ticking the boxes of their dreams.

You know, they're not dropping out.

That nothing has gone awry and they still feel this.

And I relate to that immensely.