Student Organization of Caribbean Appreciation

Coming into my first semester at Baruch, I can honestly say I did not have the highest expectations. Being anxious over making friends, doing well in classes and my daily 2 hour commute were just a few of the many things that were stressing me out. However as time progressed and I made my way through my first few weeks, I can confidently say that I have grown quite the liking for this college. One major contribution to my new found appreciation is my freshmen seminar class. Although at first I had my doubts about this freshmen process; I felt as if forcing someone to take a class intended to integrate new students to a different way of life was counterproductive to college’s independent aspect. However by doing so, I was able to join a club that impacted my life to quite the degree. After some research, peer and professor evaluation, the “Student Organization of Caribbean Appreciation” was very clearly the club for me. SOCA allowed me to step out of my shell and comfort zone, meeting many interesting and intelligent new people. Since I have joined I have made a handful of long term friends, learned so much about the Caribbean culture and most importantly has become the gateway to joining other clubs. SOCA has introduced me to different types of music throughout the Caribbean, helped me develop a new found love for the many exotic foods, as well as set me up for success in not only this club, but different events and studies around Baruch. I also believe that SOCA will help me maintain a high level of academic excellence and integrity. I look forward to progressing my membership in SOCA, and furthermore continuing to network and create new opportunities for myself and hopefully other first semester students soon to come.