“It’s like my life is harder through no fault of my own,” said Worthington, starting down a journey that would end just millimeters short of self-awareness. “And the worst part is that I have absolutely no control over how this happens. I just have to deal with worse circumstances.”

Solemnly dwelling on her lottery number, Worthington lamented the extra effort she will have to put in to get to class relative to her peers with more advantageous placements.

“They can just wake up and roll right into class. Ugh, imagine that. You know, some of us have to do way more just to end up at the same place,” said Worthington, just one electrical impulse between neurons away from getting it. “They should give students like me assistance to compensate for the unfair hand we were dealt.”

“I’m not mad at those who got lucky for being more fortunate than me, I just wish they would acknowledge how unfair this whole lottery is,” said Worthington, whose SAT tutor cost the same amount as another student’s crippling medical debt. “It’s a lot to process for me.”

Worthington finally began to grasp the idea of hardship when her housing group was placed in summer assignment.