After experiencing the museum, Montgomery felt different. My class was silent. Nobody cared to crack any jokes. The air even started to smell different — like rotting garbage, reminiscent of the Southern Magnolia that Billie Holiday sung about decades prior. 

Ignoring the reality of low-income students at prestigious, expensive universities only allows said students to slip through the cracks. 

Growing up in the Bronx provided a safe haven for Pamela Munoz. Fiscal challenges among the borough’s inhabitants were not uncommon, and cultural backgrounds were diverse, bringing life to the community’s largely impoverished population.