Growing up in a severely cultural Croatian apartment, placed in the middle of a small suburb in Westchester, I have certainly grown to value variety. Stemming from the cultural bridge I cross each day when I come home, this bi-national identity has served to give me an open mind in most any given situation. Certainly I also have my traditional moments; however I have always respected the idea of having an open mind since it only leads to new horizons. This value culminated in six consecutive summers spent in Croatia swimming, free diving, and spear-fishing. I can finally identify with the stories my parents had been telling me for years. I understand what it means to be from a Croatian archipelago in the turquoise Adriatic Sea and I understand why the nostalgia is so severe. In fact, it has been a motivating force since I focused on my academics mostly for the summer abroad. As an economics major I might say that it was an incentive which worked. This macbook is proof.
My value for variety might have also inclined me towards Baruch. The diversity was an obvious factor luring me towards the school since my circle of friends was jokingly known as the U.N for a while. As for expectations, I can only say that I hope to be challenged and exposed to opportunities in finance and economics. So far, my expectations are being fulfilled, and I feel that if I take each assignment at a time, I should be fine. For years I have worked diligently year round so that I can go to Croatia and take a break for a month or two. I have grown to see the States as a professional environment and so long as I approach Baruch with this mindset I feel confident. Along with our entire learning community, we have the intellect to be here, now it’s up to us to succeed.