Baruch Scholars 2011

The cultivation of the community service project has been an eye opening and truly invigorating experience. Having learned about the human connection that embodies the service and the myriad of ways in which one gesture of kindness can reach out to an entire group of people that live below the poverty line, I look forward to putting the theories into action and beginning the project in the Spring of 2012. The club that I am currently an active member at is called the Finance and Economics Society. The resources provided by this club is unparalleled by any other as it not only informs students about the various internship opportunities in the realm of Finance but also conducts workshops that elucidate business terms that we often hear about in the media. I have attended three workshops hosted by this student organization and hope to gain a competitive edge while studying the subject matter taught in my Business 1000H class. In the course of the next three years, I hope to truly broaden my horizons by venturing out of my comfort zone. At Baruch College, I wish to continue conducting community service as the aftermath is a truly gratifying and self-fulfilling experience. Moreover, I hope to set an example for the new influx of students entering the Baruch Scholars Program. By taking initiatives, responsibilities and carrying out my duties as an individual in the community and student at the broader Baruch College, I wish to encounter people who will continue to inspire me and help me reach my potential. I truly wish that the next three years equip me with the skills that I need in the realm of business. Lastly, I hope to secure summer internships that will allow me to apply the theoretical knowledge gained from my courses at Baruch to truly translate them into concrete terms. I am certain that the next three years will be pleasant, stimulating and challenging but in the end, truly rewarding as the Baruch Scholars program provides its students with the attention and opportunities they need to succeed.

I think what was most encouraging for me was seeing just how open all of our resources were: Maria, Mr. Medina, Mr. Francoeur, etc. They were always willing to provide their guidance about anything we needed. Having trouble doing research? Not doing well in a class? Just want to have a pleasant conversation? They were all very willingly supportive, which makes me very comfortable with going to them to draw upon their expertise for anything I need. I am very thankful Mr. Medina helping me set up my schedule for the next semester and Maria giving our learning community a whole class dedicated to running through our presentations to give us helpful critiques that led to a very successful day of presentations! (Congrats to everyone for doing a great job by the way!)

I remember the first college paper I had ever written in my history class I received a C+. And this was just a smack in the face for me screaming that I should seek out some help! Specifically the BEAUTIFUL writing center! I took a few workshops there and had my second history paper worked on with one of the writing center professionals… and HOORAY I got my first A in college on my second history paper! I also plan on visiting the STARR career development center in the future to help me look for internships and possibly going to the SACC tutoring center for classes I may struggle in. So far it’s just been the writing center though.

I have joined Baruch’s FUSION Club (Filipinos Uniting Students in Other Nations) because I wanted to continue embracing my filipino culture. I have found several new friends there whom I feel strongly connected to, and I’m always looking forward to club meetings. I am also going to try and go about forming some kind of ensemble of students with musical instruments to hone our performing arts skills. If elementary schools can support having a band, I don’t see why Baruch College cannot!

I think the notion of humbling myself and accepting the responsibilities that come with my privileges as an honors student are what give me an edge in my other courses. This is because these characteristics influence me to want to learn for the sake of learning; not just to get a good grade (which of course is important!). It also helps make school much more enjoyable and worth going to.

My understanding of community service through this project has really gotten me to think about WHY I do the things I do. It makes sense to perform community service I am passionate about and want to follow through with rather than just trying to fill up credit requirements. I hope this way of thinking stays with me throughout my college years as I discover what I want to do with my life. I hope to see myself graduating with a sense of understanding in myself and a plan for the future created through the help of my resources at Baruch.

ALSO I’D LIKE TO GIVE A BIG SHOUT OUT TO MARIA AND MR. MEDINA FOR BEING SUPER AWESOME!

And a big shout out to the rest of my BEAUTIFUL learning community!

I think what was most encouraging for me was seeing just how open all of our resources were: Maria, Mr. Medina, Mr. Francoeur, etc. They were always willing to provide their guidance about anything we needed. Having trouble doing research? Not doing well in a class? Just want to have a pleasant conversation? They were all very willingly supportive, which makes me very comfortable with going to them to draw upon their expertise for anything I need. I am very thankful Mr. Medina helping me set up my schedule for the next semester and Maria giving our learning community a whole class dedicated to running through our presentations to give us helpful critiques that led to a very successful day of presentations! (Congrats to everyone for doing a great job by the way!)

I remember the first college paper I had ever written in my history class I received a C+. And this was just a smack in the face for me screaming that I should seek out some help! Specifically the BEAUTIFUL writing center! I took a few workshops there and had my second history paper worked on with one of the writing center professionals… and HOORAY I got my first A in college on my second history paper! I also plan on visiting the STARR career development center in the future to help me look for internships and possibly going to the SACC tutoring center for classes I may struggle in. So far it’s just been the writing center though.

I have joined Baruch’s FUSION Club (Filipinos Uniting Students in Other Nations) because I wanted to continue embracing my filipino culture. I have found several new friends there whom I feel strongly connected to, and I’m always looking forward to club meetings. I am also going to try and go about forming some kind of ensemble of students with musical instruments to hone our performing arts skills. If elementary schools can support having a band, I don’t see why Baruch College cannot!

I think the notion of humbling myself and accepting the responsibilities that come with my privileges as an honors student are what give me an edge in my other courses. This is because these characteristics influence me to want to learn for the sake of learning; not just to get a good grade (which of course is important!). It also helps make school much more enjoyable and worth going to.

My understanding of community service through this project has really gotten me to think about WHY I do the things I do. It makes sense to perform community service I am passionate about and want to follow through with rather than just trying to fill up credit requirements. I hope this way of thinking stays with me throughout my college years as I discover what I want to do with my life. I hope to see myself graduating with a sense of understanding in myself and a plan for the future created through the help of my resources at Baruch.

ALSO I’D LIKE TO GIVE A BIG SHOUT OUT TO MARIA AND MR. MEDINA FOR BEING SUPER AWESOME!

And a big shout out to the rest of my BEAUTIFUL learning community!

Although I have yet visited any of the support centers provided by Baruch, I can see myself going there in the future. I have heard from my colleagues that these centers did wonders for them and I am positive it will do the same for me. Since I was still new to Baruch, I did not join any clubs and organizations. But now that I’m going into my second semester in Baruch, I will be sure to join one of the clubs that we have here in Baruch.

Without this project, I would not have been as close to Steven and Johanna as I am right now. Since everyone in the Baruch Honors Program is a community, I felt that this project really tied us together. But not only did I get closer to the people in my block, I was able to get in touch with my advisor, Mr. Medina and our peer mentor, Maria. I can honestly say, I am not a person who goes and run after everything I see. I’m the kind of person who just waits for everything to come to me. It’s definitely a bad habit, but I’m trying to change all of that. Back in high school, everything was given to me, I was guided by people to do everything. I know that in most colleges, there is no one to really rely on but yourself. But I’m so glad in our college, we have faculties and staffs who truly cares about our education and keeping us on track.

In addition to making me closer to the Baruch COmmunity, this project has also allowed me to talk to people in different organizations and it has helped me build my communication skills. I firmly believed that being able to talk to others is a skill that is necessary in life and the only way I can learn how to do that is by talking to different people.

The Community Service Project would have been much more difficult to complete if we had not had the help of Stephen Francoeur. Also, Maria helped us out a lot with our presentations and any problems that we had. Aside from the help I received from Professor Francoeur and Maria, there have been several instances where I needed the help of Mr. Medina and he responded to my questions very quickly. I feel that everyone helped make our projects more fun and easier.

Outside of freshman seminar, I have used the writing center to help me with my writing. Although I’ve only been there once, I plan on going there more often so I can improve my writing skills. I have also found that most of my professors are very approachable and are ready to help with any problems that I might be having. Just talking with a professor makes the class easier and a connection is formed.

Although I haven’t joined any clubs, I am in the process of joining VITA, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance. I have to pass a pre-test, go through training, and pass the final test to join. Although it is a long process, it is a good experience to have. I also plan on joining Beta Alpha Psi, which is a business fraternity. My cousins recommended it to me and have told me that it can help me out in the long run. I have also been encouraged to join Ascend which provides networking with professionals.

I feel that the support that we receive in Baruch is very apparent and that there will always be someone there to help us along. My experience with our team project has proved this to me. Also, everyone did an informational speech related to the organization that we will be volunteering at. The connection between the two classes made it very easy to get things done. Learning how to do group work is also very important and this group project has given me an example of what to do and what not to do.

Before this group project, I never had a drive to volunteer; It always seemed like a hassle. However, after doing this project and realizing how privileged we are to be in the honors program and to receive education, I feel a need to give back to the community. I am much more willing to do community service. I’m looking for to volunteering at Housing Works with Ken and Johanna next term.

I am glad that we had our freshman seminar class because it helped us transition from high school to college. It also showed us the amount of support that is available to us in the college and I feel much more confident about college. Although my intended major is accounting, I plan to find out what I truly love to do. In three years time, I hope to be pursuing a major that I am passionate about. I also hope to be as successful as my cousin, a senior in the Baruch Honors program, who recently received an internship at Ernst & Young.

The Community Service Project would have been much more difficult to complete if we had not had the help of Stephen Francoeur. Also, Maria helped us out a lot with our presentations and any problems that we had. Aside from the help I received from Professor Francoeur and Maria, there have been several instances where I needed the help of Mr. Medina and he responded to my questions very quickly. I feel that everyone helped make our projects more fun and easier.

Outside of freshman seminar, I have used the writing center to help me with my writing. Although I’ve only been there once, I plan on going there more often so I can improve my writing skills. I have also found that most of my professors are very approachable and are ready to help with any problems that I might be having. Just talking with a professor makes the class easier and a connection is formed.

Although I haven’t joined any clubs, I am in the process of joining VITA, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance. I have to pass a pre-test, go through training, and pass the final test to join. Although it is a long process, it is a good experience to have. I also plan on joining Beta Alpha Psi, which is a business fraternity. My cousins recommended it to me and have told me that it can help me out in the long run. I have also been encouraged to join Ascend which provides networking with professionals.

I feel that the support that we receive in Baruch is very apparent and that there will always be someone there to help us along. My experience with our team project has proved this to me. Also, everyone did an informational speech related to the organization that we will be volunteering at. The connection between the two classes made it very easy to get things done. Learning how to do group work is also very important and this group project has given me an example of what to do and what not to do.

Before this group project, I never had a drive to volunteer; It always seemed like a hassle. However, after doing this project and realizing how privileged we are to be in the honors program and to receive education, I feel a need to give back to the community. I am much more willing to do community service. I’m looking for to volunteering at Housing Works with Ken and Johanna next term.

I am glad that we had our freshman seminar class because it helped us transition from high school to college. It also showed us the amount of support that is available to us in the college and I feel much more confident about college. Although my intended major is accounting, I plan to find out what I truly love to do. In three years time, I hope to be pursuing a major that I am passionate about. I also hope to be as successful as my cousin, a senior in the Baruch Honors program, who recently received an internship at Ernst & Young.

The significant difference between college and high school is that students are not necessarily looked after or pampered in every step they take. I realized that it is the students who need to take the initiative to seek out help and resources. Baruch College presents to us countless opportunities through faculty, peers, staff, support centers, the library, clubs, and many more.

Participating in the Community Service Project has encouraged me to utilize the library databases. Using the databases, I was able to research and find the nonprofit organization quickly and efficiently. As I learned to use the library resources for my community service project, I also learned to use them for my other classes’ research as well.

Throughout this semester, I “abused” the privilege of the Writing Center by going for almost every paper that I had to write. The faculty of the Writing Center do not just simply point out mechanical errors and fix sentence structures, but they give insight on what the weakest points and strongest points are in my paper and help enhance my strengths and work on my weaknesses.

Although I am currently not in a student club, I plan to get involved with organizations and clubs in the coming semesters. I am planning to join the Global Student Organization and a business fraternity next year, and hopefully more organizations in the following years that will help me grow as a person and fuel my interest in certain fields such as international relations and business.

As my group progressed in the community service project, my understanding of the importance of serving the community changed. At first, I thought that it would not make a difference whether I did community service or not. However, I now realize that every single volunteer makes a difference. The community depends on volunteers and I am encouraged to help in any way I can.

In the next three years, I hope to continue my studies at Baruch College. As mentioned before, I hope to be a part of different clubs, organizations, and a fraternity. Also, I hope to have expanded in my communication and presentation skills. Overall, I want to be able to look back on the previous years of college and be able to say, with no regrets, that I took advantage of all I could of the opportunities that are existent in Baruch College.

The significant difference between college and high school is that students are not necessarily looked after or pampered in every step they take. I realized that it is the students who need to take the initiative to seek out help and resources. Baruch College presents to us countless opportunities through faculty, peers, staff, support centers, the library, clubs, and many more.

Participating in the Community Service Project has encouraged me to utilize the library databases. Using the databases, I was able to research and find the nonprofit organization quickly and efficiently. As I learned to use the library resources for my community service project, I also learned to use them for my other classes’ research as well.

Throughout this semester, I “abused” the privilege of the Writing Center by going for almost every paper that I had to write. The faculty of the Writing Center do not just simply point out mechanical errors and fix sentence structures, but they give insight on what the weakest points and strongest points are in my paper and help enhance my strengths and work on my weaknesses.

Although I am currently not in a student club, I plan to get involved with organizations and clubs in the coming semesters. I am planning to join the Global Student Organization and a business fraternity next year, and hopefully more organizations in the following years that will help me grow as a person and fuel my interest in certain fields such as international relations and business.

As my group progressed in the community service project, my understanding of the importance of serving the community changed. At first, I thought that it would not make a difference whether I did community service or not. However, I now realize that every single volunteer makes a difference. The community depends on volunteers and I am encouraged to help in any way I can.

In the next three years, I hope to continue my studies at Baruch College. As mentioned before, I hope to be a part of different clubs, organizations, and a fraternity. Also, I hope to have expanded in my communication and presentation skills. Overall, I want to be able to look back on the previous years of college and be able to say, with no regrets, that I took advantage of all I could of the opportunities that are existent in Baruch College.

A lot of our community service project was suggested by Mohammad because he has already participated in the Village Community Boathouse.  I learned to talk with him about the Non-profit we are interested and he provided me with a lot of valuable information which makes me feel comfortable about the outcome of our upcoming presentation.  We also conversed with Sam about our project and she was very helpful in our construction of our presentation and decision about if the Village Community Boathouse is the right place to volunteer.

I have walked around the Starr center and found many interesting pamphlets which inform me about job opportunities.  The one I found most helpful was a pamphlet on Actuary Science.  I’ve also used the Library databases to my advantage in English and Business class and they have many valuable, reliable resources which I can make use of in my future classes.

I have joined a student club, a club called Fusion.  It is a primarily Filipino club, but racism is a thing of the past and I am welcomed as a non-Filipino.  There are very nice people in this club and I am always brightened up when one of my fellow club-mates waves hello or asks how I’m doing in the halls.  

As a result of the community service project, I have come to realize the importance of it and how community service accounts for many institutions we would likely not have if not for the good will of society.  The Village Community Boathouse for example is entirely dependent on volunteers to provide free services to anyone who desires them.

Non-profit organizations are important because they certain things are not meant to be labeled with a price, things like human connections which money shouldn’t be involved with.

In the next 3 years I see myself getting involved with a non-profit, maybe the Village Community Boathouse if I enjoy my experience as a volunteer there.  I’d also like to boost my grades now that I am assimilating to the New York community and growing more comfortable with it.