Baruch Scholars 2011

My role in the Baruch community as a Baruch scholar is to be a student with integrity who goes beyond what the college requires from me. I need to take initiative to not only excel academically but to also find myself—what I like to do and the type of person I am. As part of the community, I have to explore the opportunities available to me—workshops, advisements, internships, volunteer opportunities, the chance to study abroad, etc. These are privileges of mine to seek and transform them into worthwhile experiences. However, these privileges should not be taken for granted. To show our appreciation, we as Baruch Scholars should give back to the community that has given so much to us. This is the culture of service the Honors Program promotes.

To be a part of a community, one has to know the important issues that it addresses and one has to keep up with the current news related to the community. By being an informed member, one will be able to be an active participant instead of a passive one. A passive member just does what is required by one’s community. In contrast, an active member is passionate about what the community as a whole does. Their actions will inspire one to seek out ways to contribute to the community’s goal. This is what being involved in a community means.

Being part of any community is like having an extended family. You can rely on the people that make up your community and they in turn can rely on you.

The ultimate goal of all colleges is take students and mold them into individuals equipped to effectively assess the world and give back to it. In this sense the role of the Baruch scholar in the Honors program is one that confers responsibility to the student. In addition to the GPA we must maintain or exceed, the community service required of us gives us the responsibility to examine what causes there are in the world. Through this examination, we gain the necessity for us- not as students or Baruch Scholars, but as adults living in a changing world to be a part of the community.

This sense of community is no longer limited to the neighborhood, city, or state we live in due to the breaking of boundaries due to the advent of an increasingly connected world by way of the internet. Therefore, it is no longer possible to claim that you are unable to find a cause you either believe or associate with. In this regard, the serving of community can be related to a greater idea-in which the act of serving no longer just serves a community, but is an action that affects the world. Following this train of thought, the community service requirement runs parallel to the goal of molding an insightful human being that is cognizant of the world. Therefore, the culture of service that the Honors Program promotes is not only a method of giving back to the community but engaging students in a way as to promote a greater understanding of the society we live in.

The word “community” entails not only a group of people living together in a particular environment but also a sentiment that the place one inhabits is associated with a “oneness” and sense of belonging. The act of giving encompasses both intangible and tangible things. While some individuals choose to donate money and resources, others may devote their time and services. Surely many individuals have engaged in some sort of a tangible and intangible exchange but it takes a philanthropist and a person with gratitude to give back to the community. As a student at Baruch Scholars I feel highly privileged to receive the special time, attention and services of the broader college and find myself wanting to give back to the community as a token of my appreciation. I believe that my role in the university is to allocate my time and services to not only the coursework that needs to be completed but also those individuals who may not have the same opportunities that a scholar at the university is provided with. I wish to join the undergraduate student government and make the college an enjoyable experience for the student body while fostering an environment that is conducive to learning. Serving one’s community goes beyond wishful thinking. Although the conceptions of the greatest tasks stem from one humble thought, one must realize that a considerable amount of time and dedication is needed to truly serve the community. The Honors Program at Baruch College promotes a culture of service and my role in the broader community and in Baruch College is to show my appreciation by volunteering and setting examples for students from all walks of life. I hope to accomplish my role as a Baruch Scholar for philanthropic purposes so as to set an example for my peers and build a foundation of gratitude that will encourage others to follow in the footsteps of all the scholars at Baruch College.

Baruch scholars are leaders in the community. I was awarded with free tuition and many other perks. In return, I know that I should invest my extra time in helping develop the school and my other peers. Not everyone else in the world has the opportunity that I have, and I know that I should be using this to my advantage to not only help myself, but to help others, as well.

Baruch is the hub of opportunity. There are many clubs, organizations, and various other outlets that I can join that would help develop the school and enrich the students within it. As a Baruch Scholar, I should grab the bull by the horns and tackle these extracurriculars. Even though people go to college for an education, college is much more than that. By diving into this community, I set an example to other students to get involved, enrich their experience, and help each other.

Baruch Scholars are required to volunteer in community service. I am one of the lucky ones, who is able to attend college for free, so I should be using my gift and spreading it to others, but not just to the other students at Baruch, but to the people who are within the society that Baruch is surrounded by. My goal is to become a school leader, but I know that it should not stop there. The Honors Program requires a minimum number of hours of service this year. The program is our starting point to help us dive into the community, but the point is to exceed expectations and to do extra work to help others, voluntarily.

I have gone through high school and most of my life as a student despising any task that I was told to do without any sort of justification. The number of things we are given and told to do simply “because” grows with each year we age. When I was little at least the adults in charge held a level of pretense at meaning, until they had successfully trained us not to ask why. Because is there anything more annoying than a child constantly asking why? The real worry actually being, is there anything more frightening than a person not asking why? Now I realize this sounds bad on my part, but I promise I am not a terrible selfish cynic, it wasn’t the aspect of hard work that set me off, it was the taste of requirements that I could make no sense of. I watched in high school as people composed pages of resume fillers and completed tasks they did not understand. In the clubs I ran or worked on it was very easy to sort the swarms of people, to see who would drop in, take on one task, and write it down on a useless piece of paper. This hardly seems a reasonable use of time, of anyone’s time. ‘Having said that, I don’t want to lend the impression I do not work, I simply loathe inefficiency and unexplained tasks. I was not often a popular face in class, questioning the purpose and motivation of all our assignments, falling short of meeting teacher expectations of “suck-uppery” and “brown-nosing.”

As a scholar, and simply as a student, this college has afforded me a great luxury, the chance to hack away at the knowledge they store in great masses, and for an excellent rate. I despise resumes, but my love of hard work and consistent activity will leave me quite busy I am sure. Then we must arrive at the ever-present question, what is our responsibility to the community? As scholars we are indeed required to perform a set number of hours each semester, but all of this continues to prod at that overbearing query. Is it our responsibility to give back for all that we were given and everything that we earned? In many ways yes. But it is my firm belief that acts done in a compulsory nature are hardly as worthwhile as those that a person considers fully and through this understanding does in an agreeable fashion. I am excited to work for an organization that I feel is worthwhile. Supposedly we are to learn something new about ourselves in college, to gain that traditional young adult experience those movies harp on about. I hope to learn everything I can, try to maintain my grade point average and put an end to my curiosity about what exactly allows people to stop asking questions. If I fulfill this, and work hard to lend a hand to the community, then perhaps I have succeeded in my responsibility as a scholar and young adult, whatever that means.

I have gone through high school and most of my life as a student despising any task that I was told to do without any sort of justification. The number of things we are given and told to do simply “because” grows with each year we age. When I was little at least the adults in charge held a level of pretense at meaning, until they had successfully trained us not to ask why. Because is there anything more annoying than a child constantly asking why? The real worry actually being, is there anything more frightening than a person not asking why? Now I realize this sounds bad on my part, but I promise I am not a terrible selfish cynic, it wasn’t the aspect of hard work that set me off, it was the taste of requirements that I could make no sense of. I watched in high school as people composed pages of resume fillers and completed tasks they did not understand. In the clubs I ran or worked on it was very easy to sort the swarms of people, to see who would drop in, take on one task, and write it down on a useless piece of paper. This hardly seems a reasonable use of time, of anyone’s time. ‘Having said that, I don’t want to lend the impression I do not work, I simply loathe inefficiency and unexplained tasks. I was not often a popular face in class, questioning the purpose and motivation of all our assignments, falling short of meeting teacher expectations of “suck-uppery” and “brown-nosing.”

As a scholar, and simply as a student, this college has afforded me a great luxury, the chance to hack away at the knowledge they store in great masses, and for an excellent rate. I despise resumes, but my love of hard work and consistent activity will leave me quite busy I am sure. Then we must arrive at the ever-present question, what is our responsibility to the community? As scholars we are indeed required to perform a set number of hours each semester, but all of this continues to prod at that overbearing query. Is it our responsibility to give back for all that we were given and everything that we earned? In many ways yes. But it is my firm belief that acts done in a compulsory nature are hardly as worthwhile as those that a person considers fully and through this understanding does in an agreeable fashion. I am excited to work for an organization that I feel is worthwhile. Supposedly we are to learn something new about ourselves in college, to gain that traditional young adult experience those movies harp on about. I hope to learn everything I can, try to maintain my grade point average and put an end to my curiosity about what exactly allows people to stop asking questions. If I fulfill this, and work hard to lend a hand to the community, then perhaps I have succeeded in my responsibility as a scholar and young adult, whatever that means.

What is my role in the Baruch community as a Scholar? First and foremost I am a student because my studies are more important than anything else. Because of my grades and two essays from high school I have been offered at seat in the Honors Program and my tuition has been taken care of. I recently received a letter stating how much I do not have to pay this year because I have obtained a scholarship from Max Brenner, a part of my community. So I feel the need, as a Baruch Scholar, to give back to my community because it was my community that allowed me to have an opportunity to go to school and learn for free. Doing volunteer work is very important because it shows that you are not just a student who goes to school and heads straight home after your classes because you get out there and interact with the world and meet new people all in the name of helping others. Steven, Ken, and I will be volunteering at a not for profit organization called Housing Works and we will be helping out in their Bookstore Cafe either organizing books, working behind the counter, or aiding them in any projects they may be working on at the time. Serving your community can also mean tutoring other students who don’t understand a subject such as math, science, etc. or don’t understand exactly how to do something. It is my responsibility to give back to my community because they have already given me so much.

What is my role in the Baruch community as a Scholar? First and foremost I am a student because my studies are more important than anything else. Because of my grades and two essays from high school I have been offered at seat in the Honors Program and my tuition has been taken care of. I recently received a letter stating how much I do not have to pay this year because I have obtained a scholarship from Max Brenner, a part of my community. So I feel the need, as a Baruch Scholar, to give back to my community because it was my community that allowed me to have an opportunity to go to school and learn for free. Doing volunteer work is very important because it shows that you are not just a student who goes to school and heads straight home after your classes because you get out there and interact with the world and meet new people all in the name of helping others. Steven, Ken, and I will be volunteering at a not for profit organization called Housing Works and we will be helping out in their Bookstore Cafe either organizing books, working behind the counter, or aiding them in any projects they may be working on at the time. Serving your community can also mean tutoring other students who don’t understand a subject such as math, science, etc. or don’t understand exactly how to do something. It is my responsibility to give back to my community because they have already given me so much.

Ever since I was in elementary school, I have been participating in the community services until now. To tell you the truth, it was not because I wanted to. It was because my dear mother would always sign up for community services, and when she signs her own name on the sign-up sheet, she always signed my name as well for some reason. At first, I only felt tired and thought of ways I could pretend as if I am working, but later on, when I became older, I realized that I became more mature by not only helping others but also sharing the moments with others. By participating in community services, I was able to share the burden of people who are troubled such as the handicapped and the old, and I was also able to broaden and deepen my perspective.

And I grew up even more, and I am now a college student in honors program. I still remember the moment when I received the acceptance letter from CUNY Baruch. It was one of the most joyous moments of my life because being a Baruch scholar means that my role is to be a role model to other students. In addition, my tuition is fully covered as long as I take care of my GPA and other requirements, I have an opportunity to take honors classes, and I get to register for classes earlier than regular students. With such prerogatives, I think honors students to give back to the community by participating in the community services. Being a book-smart person is easy because focusing on one thing is simple. However, since honors students are chosen individuals who proved themselves with their accomplishments, I think all honors students should be mindful of contributing back to others.

Ever since I was in elementary school, I have been participating in the community services until now. To tell you the truth, it was not because I wanted to. It was because my dear mother would always sign up for community services, and when she signs her own name on the sign-up sheet, she always signed my name as well for some reason. At first, I only felt tired and thought of ways I could pretend as if I am working, but later on, when I became older, I realized that I became more mature by not only helping others but also sharing the moments with others. By participating in community services, I was able to share the burden of people who are troubled such as the handicapped and the old, and I was also able to broaden and deepen my perspective.

And I grew up even more, and I am now a college student in honors program. I still remember the moment when I received the acceptance letter from CUNY Baruch. It was one of the most joyous moments of my life because being a Baruch scholar means that my role is to be a role model to other students. In addition, my tuition is fully covered as long as I take care of my GPA and other requirements, I have an opportunity to take honors classes, and I get to register for classes earlier than regular students. With such prerogatives, I think honors students to give back to the community by participating in the community services. Being a book-smart person is easy because focusing on one thing is simple. However, since honors students are chosen individuals who proved themselves with their accomplishments, I think all honors students should be mindful of contributing back to others.