It was the semester of Fall 2021 at the school of my dreams, the University of Connecticut (UConn). I purchased my textbooks, paid my tuition, and prepared myself to be a diligent and motivated student like many others who looked forward to embarking on their college education. Little did I know, I was about to have my dreams shattered: $23,000 of the merit scholarships I earned were canceled, I was refused class registration and canceled from my chosen university, and my academic statuses vanished — all because I believe in freedom of choice.

When the COVID-19 vaccine was released, I was hesitant to accept such a novel treatment permanently into my body. CNN wrote, “Past vaccine disasters show why rushing a coronavirus vaccine now would be ‘colossally stupid’”, and WebMD reminded us of “What Happened Other Times a Vaccine Was Rushed?” .

No matter how great the messaging for a product – there’s always a chance of it being recalled from the market or heavily scrutinized (think: the opioid crisis, Vioxx, and the Tylenol Autism Lawsuit). Besides, neither I nor anyone I was in close contact with was a high risk individual and I took responsibility to regularly practice preventative measures.