Ashka Thaker

After almost completing my first semester of college, I definitely realize how important it is to take initiative and ask for help when necessary. Approaching others, meeting new people, and asking for help is not sign of weakness; rather, I’ve realized it translates into being a responsible college student.

The Community Service Project has been very influential in the first semester. As a class, we’ve met people from the library who have helped us research non-profit organizations. As a personal anecdote, Linda Maestro in the Honors Office actually gave my group the name of the organization we’ve decided to work with. Asking for help when necessary has paid off and taking advantage of all the resources the college has to offer has only aided our process.

I’ve decided to become involved with the Ticker. I wrote an article for an issue about two weeks ago and it is something that I would be interested in continuing to do. I hope to become involved in other organizations over the next semester as well.

Researching certain aspects of our project has been necessary and so the use of the library and its myriad of databases have been crucial over the past semester.

The library itself has been essential to me and has factored in to what I’ve learned over the semester. My time management skills have largely improved. I’ve become accustomed to studying in the library and utilizing all the free time I have in a day. It eventuated in my being more prepared for classes and less stressed at home.

Community service has always been something I’ve valued and taken into account. I’ve always has a few causes that have been close to me. Working on this project with a team has allowed me to meet new people and understand different perspectives. Different people view things in varied manners and each person’s thoughts are enlightening. My understanding of community service hasn’t evolved; rather it has been enriched.

As a Baruch Scholar, I feel that my role is to be an example of all that Baruch has to offer. I’ve been granted so many opportunities through the Honors Program and it only makes sense to take full advantage of them both productively and efficiently.

I’ve been offered an excellent education as well the opportunity to meet so many intellectual people from all different walks of life. Every class has taught me something new in terms of both education and the real world. Each person that I have connected with has only added to my experience as a student and person.

Being a Baruch Scholar translates to a myriad of opportunities. In the broader Baruch community, I should be able to take advantage of everything the Honors Program and College offer. To me, that means participating in both school and Honors events. I recently submitted an article for the Ticker and am therefore establishing a place for myself in the Baruch community.

I am challenging myself academically and attempting to socialize outside of the Honors Program. In doing so, I believe that I am doing what is expected of a Baruch Scholar: managing time for my studies and for interaction within Baruch.

The Honors Program promotes the idea of embracing every opportunity, whether academic, social, or cultural. By prioritizing my time and broadening my horizons through the people I meet and the events I attend, I believe that I am fulfilling my role as a Baruch Scholar.

I’ve never been a fan of having to describe myself. It’s such a broad question, however; I can appreciate the vagueness as well. That in itself might begin to describe me.

I shy away from talking loudly in public but I have a flair for the dramatic (in my mind, anyway). I might spend a sunny day, reading a mystery novel but the minute it starts to rain; I’m ready to go for a walk. My DVR is set to record crime procedurals, teen dramas, and reality shows (and when everything doesn’t fit on my DVR, I catch up online).

Yet, that’s only the surface. I genuinely have an appreciation for learning. My parents and high school mentors have instilled in me the values of determination, integrity, and responsibility. My parents have constantly taught me achieving success that is meaningful to me will only be a result of my own dedication. I choose to believe them completely because their own determination and success is something I have grown up witnessing.

High school was one of the most defining experiences for me. I grew into my sarcastic attitude and learned to use wit in a way that is polite (and not take on a tone that I was often grounded for as a child). My interests in English, History, and Business came about in high school as well (not to mention my general disinterest in math and science.) Responsibility and integrity are two of the most valuable ideals I graduated with.

I’m hoping for college to be just as defining as my childhood and high school were. I want to learn new things, meet new people, and take my values to the next level. As most freshmen are, I am obviously concerned about grades and being able to cope with the intensity of a college atmosphere. However, I know college is just a new experience and I’m open to all it has to offer (even Pre-calculus).