Sometimes we take things in our everyday lives for granted. We do not even realize how many things we have that are privileges. Take a second to list these privileges. I can think of a good number of them right off the bat.

• A roof over your head
• A loving family
• A home, a bed
• Three meals daily (sometimes, I am a college student after all)
• Birthday or Christmas presents
• Nice clothes, a warm winter jacket
• Education

Now, look at who we are in this moment. We are possibly more privileged now so more than ever. Not only are we getting a great college education, but we are lucky enough to be Baruch Scholars, who have the treat of a full ride (yay).

I was always taught by my mother and father to keep moving forward, working hard to a goal. To push myself, to learn from others, and to achieve that goal. I was also taught to look back. Look back on everything that brought me to where I am, and to say “thank you.” From the moment I learned to write, my mother engrained in me the importance of sending thank you notes to everyone who gave me presents. Of course, a four-year-old’s note probably read “Dear Ant Beth, Thaks for my toy. I lov it. Lov, Elisa.” Later, when I was about seven or eight, my mom taught me the importance of community service. We had an excess of things in our home. Excess is the perfect word. In namely, hotel-sized shampoo and conditioners. Since she used to travel very often for her career, my mom would bring home those cute little shampoos all the time. Each year, we would gather all of our unwanted clothing and give it to the church, and gather the canned goods we did not need and gave them, along with the shampoos, to the Mary Brennan Soup Kitchen on Long Island. We continued this for ten years. We loved to see the sheer gratitude in the eyes of the people who worked and visited the Soup Kitchen for meals. Community Service is highly regarded and appreciated, but when you have all this excess and privilege, isn’t giving back a no brainer?

I am excited about finding an organization to volunteer with this year. I think it is wonderful that we are making a group project out of volunteering in Freshman Seminar, a course where we discover the tools to interact with the diverse Baruch and NYC community. It is important to me to be involved in a cause I believe in, and part of the reason why I am enjoying Baruch already is because of my joining the aforementioned club (in my previous post), Baruch GLASS. GLASS (Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Society) is a half social, half professional club that acts as a safe space for LGBTQ youth and their allies to meet, to be educated and to educate others on current LGBTQ issues, learn about LGBTQ history (LGBT History Month is happening right now so go to some events people *shameless promotion*), and mainly to have fun and feel welcome. I know that it is not a non-profit organization, but it is dear to my heart because I have witnessed members become infinitely more comfortable in their own skin, since GLASS’s values are so strong. Right now, I hold the position of Executive Assistant to the Creative Director because I value these things. I want to give back to each community I feel has shaped who I am, and has played a role in creating the life I get to live.

Guys, look at how much we have been given. Let’s say thank you in a big way. Let’s lend a hand, offer our time, and remember to look back, even when looking forward.