By far my favorite picture

Hello Baruchians! My name is Calvin and I like to take photos.

I currently work for Lexicon as a photographer under my all powerful boss Michael Lai.  I enjoy reading last words, cooking, answering the phone when its ringing, answering the phone when its not ringing, and looking at cat pictures on the internet. I intend on majoring in some form of psychology (debating between clinical and IO). I’m really excited to be at Baruch. So far everyone here is very nice and welcoming. My only fear this semester is gaining weight.

I’ve been doing photography for the better half of my high school life. There I was, my default, the main photographer. At first I did it because it was an easy way to get into events for free (seriously walk briskly with a DSLR around your neck and no one will ask you any questions) but I later enjoyed the idea of capturing scenes and with it the emotions, thoughts, and beauty within the subject.

Going to my old school was the best mistake I’ve ever made. To give you some background: my parents set these high standards for me. And with that I spent most, if not all, my childhood in cramped classes of 40 kids all preparing and practicing for the SHSAT. There I was an average student in a way above average class. I felt inferior compared to my classmates. I felt stupid that I couldn’t understand quadratics and trig while those around me  excelled. But my dad was paying these people money and I had to go through it. As each summer or weekend passed, I left these places not with some enriched intelligence but with an ever decreasing sense of self-value. I hated it. I hated my brother and cousins for setting this standard of going to a specialized high school, I hated my friends for getting in, and most of all I hated myself for failing over and over again.

Bowne fixed that for me. There are a thousand and one stories I can tell of these amazing people that brought out wonderful things from me but there is one man, one spectacular soul, that picked me off the ground first.  His name is Papa Ba. He was my global teacher at the time and  the first person that’s ever made me feel proud of something. Honestly I don’t think I’d be writing this page right now if it wasn’t for him. I owe my future to this man. I should visit him soon.