Wilson Osorio: Building Community through Curiosity

Wilson Osorio | he/him | CLAS’09

B.A. History and Latin American Studies

In high school Wilson Osorio fell in love with the University of Virginia but it would not be until his second year in college that he arrived at the University. As a first generation low income student, Osorio’s primary concern when choosing a college was affordability. He knew he had to attend an in-state college and worked tirelessly to earn a private scholarship. He was accepted into both Virginia Tech and UVA, ultimately he chose Virginia Tech due to the fact that it was more affordable because they accepted a greater amount of credits from his high school’s IB program, allowing him to graduate a year earlier than UVA did. Once at Virginia Tech, Osorio recounts that although he had a good experience it was difficult for himself and his Puerto Rican roommate to be one of the only people of color in his dorm and would come come to messages like “Go Back to Mexico you *insert slur*” written on his dorm room door several times which disappointed and frustrated Osorio.  In the Spring semester of his freshman year Osorio decided to follow his heart and apply to transfer to the University of Virginia. 

Once at UVA, it was like starting from scratch. Osorio wanted to quickly integrate himself into the UVA community and was longing to find his people at the University. He made sure to get involved quickly and found his new community to be very welcoming.  He was able to find this community quickly by finding people who also shared his passion for soccer. Osorio’s involvements within the soccer community were deep, he not only played with friends on the weekend or in the intramural league, he actually made the UVA men’s soccer club soccer team through a rigorous try-out process. This led Osorio to be able to travel up and down the east coast to different colleges for matches with his teammates. 

“I have played soccer for as long as I can remember. When I went to UVA,  I  was looking for that soccer community- where are the soccer players? Where do I look? I remember a day or two after arriving on campus, I went to Lambeth field and there they were. They were everywhere, it was like coming home. I made friends with guys on the field and I am still friends with them today. UVa provided that community to me.”

Off the pitch, over the course of his three years at UVA Osorio became the vice president of Students Helping Honduras, a club dedicated to raising funds to build schools in underserved areas of Honduras. These fundraisers ranged from a walk-a-thon to parties that Osorio would DJ, he recalls feeling good about doing something that would have a positive impact on a child's life. Additionally, one of Osorio’s most significant involvements was becoming a resident advisor.  

“I wanted to be an RA in order to foster an environment of inclusiveness where every student, no matter their background from every walk of life, felt welcomed and embraced.”

In order to foster an inclusive environment, not only in his hall but his entire dorm, Osorio would play board games, host pizza parties, play intramural sports, and even volunteer to dance at Ritmo Latino, an annual dancing showcase hosted by Fuego, because one of the building residents was involved in the showcase and needed another dancer.

Move in Day Lile-Maupin Dorm

UVA Men’s Club Soccer Team, Wacky Tacky Practice at Carr’s Hill

Ritmo Latino Spring Showcase

Outside of his own new found homes, Osorio believes that the University did a great job during his tenure to foster an inclusive environment that was welcoming of all walks of life. He particularly recalls attending an event where UVa hosted Mexico’s ex-president, Vicente Fox. Osorio was moved by his visit because it demonstrated to him that the University cared about people like him--- people that were immigrants. Hearing somebody like Vicente Fox speak was something that Osorio’s parents could only dream of. Experiences like these and interactions with peers made Osorio realize that learning goes far beyond the classroom setting. 

Despite Osorio’s enthusiasm for learning both inside and outside of the classroom, the financial crisis of 2008 and being a first generation low-income student, created a difficult situation when it came to career services. Osorio wishes he would have been able to have a mentor of similar background in order to assist him in navigating not only college but also career opportunities. The lack of a mentor forced Osorio to explore many types of classes from engineering courses to French, he wanted to make sure that he was not missing out on any potential career choice. 

“From the moment they [affluent students] stepped on campus they knew exactly what they wanted to study. Many of their parents were already part of these professions. For me it wasn't the case- I was exploring uncharted territory.”

Amidst trying to find his niche academically and home at the University, Osorio had fond memories of studying and goofing around in “Club Clemons,” the second floor of Clemons library, and winning the intramural soccer championship-- the  friendships formed in Clemons library and on the field have lasted till this day. Osorio was able to build community in his three years by being resilient through tough circumstances and connecting with people and exploring every opportunity that was available to him. He recommends, particularly first generation students, do the same and that they find their mentor to help them along the way.

“Don't be afraid to explore everything that UVA has to offer in terms of courses, and not knowing what you want to pursue is okay. Part of college life is finding out who you are, what you want to become, and why you want to become that.”