Sometimes giving back to your community is just spending the time to engage with others and listen to what others have to share. Like lifting the weight of their shoulders, comforting a fellow friend  or acquaintance. It isn’t necessarily always about being active, and contributing your physical labor, sometimes its just about lending an ear, offering a hug, and sometimes a loving whack on the head.  My participation in the Community Service Project encouraged me to draw on resources and expertise of faculty and staff, but more importantly it taught me  to help these people just as much as they help me. A sense of gratitude and understanding inundated my stream of consciousness. Therefore, instead of merely walking up to these benefactors, supports, and assisters and asking for help, I embarked on a journey of helping  these people. The most trivial acts of reserving some time to engage about their personal lives, being interested in their work, just showing that I care. After all, these people are so involved in the construction of our future; they help pave the road to our success and make the climb, if not less steeper than definitely an easier travel.

I owe the survival of my first semester in college to many individuals.  Unfortunately, I can’t even begin to acknowledge each and everyone of them name by name, but my gratitude does reach out to each of them, even those whose impact escaped my awareness. Every small contribution helps, and without them these past few months wouldn’t be as a bearable of a hurricane as they were.

First and foremost, I owe much to the Newman Library and its workers. Their help and patience were welcomed additions to my life, and facilitated many projects and searches for stimulating discussion. The writing center was another blessing. The workers there helped me with multiple speeches, gave valuable advice on accommodating and adjusting to the high and meticulous requirements of professors. However, most of all I want to thank Golden Key and Maria, my  freshman seminar mentor who introduced me to the Honors Society, for encouraging me to reach out and get involved. The knowledge and experience that I acquired through all these countless escapades have refined my networking skills, sparked new thought, and now serve  as the fuel to greater ambitions. Consequently, they also served as a welcome distraction from the storm of textbooks, papers, and pencil shavings. They kept me sane… and health is what we all need if we want to see ourselves doing something successful in next three years to come.

Keep on Wandering,

Tamara Barbakova

.

Sometimes giving back to your community is just spending the time to engage with others and listen to what others have to share. Like lifting the weight of their shoulders, comforting a fellow friend  or acquaintance. It isn’t necessarily always about being active, and contributing your physical labor, sometimes its just about lending an ear, offering a hug, and sometimes a loving whack on the head.  My participation in the Community Service Project encouraged me to draw on resources and expertise of faculty and staff, but more importantly it taught me  to help these people just as much as they help me. A sense of gratitude and understanding inundated my stream of consciousness. Therefore, instead of merely walking up to these benefactors, supports, and assisters and asking for help, I embarked on a journey of helping  these people. The most trivial acts of reserving some time to engage about their personal lives, being interested in their work, just showing that I care. After all, these people are so involved in the construction of our future; they help pave the road to our success and make the climb, if not less steeper than definitely an easier travel.

I owe the survival of my first semester in college to many individuals.  Unfortunately, I can’t even begin to acknowledge each and everyone of them name by name, but my gratitude does reach out to each of them, even those whose impact escaped my awareness. Every small contribution helps, and without them these past few months wouldn’t be as a bearable of a hurricane as they were.

First and foremost, I owe much to the Newman Library and its workers. Their help and patience were welcomed additions to my life, and facilitated many projects and searches for stimulating discussion. The writing center was another blessing. The workers there helped me with multiple speeches, gave valuable advice on accommodating and adjusting to the high and meticulous requirements of professors. However, most of all I want to thank Golden Key and Maria, my  freshman seminar mentor who introduced me to the Honour Society, for encouraging me to reach out and get involved. The knowledge and experience that I acquired through all these countless escapades have refined my networking skills, sparked new though, and now serve  as the fuel to greater ambitions. Consequently, they also served as a welcome distraction from the storm of textbooks, papers, and pencil shavings. They kept me sane… and health is what we all need if we want to see ourselves doing something successful in next three years to come.

Keep on Wandering,

Tamara Barbakova

.

Next Steps…

First semester has been a bit of a whirlwind. It’s been a rollercoaster going between “Eh, this college thing is easy, I could totally handle this without a problem,” and “That’s due whe?!? I can’t handle this. College is way too crazy.” But it’s been an experience.

I’ve learned that in college, things are not just handed to you. No one tells you when to do your work, and how. And Baruch is filled with so many resources that can be utilized for all of it. We have been fortunate to learn about many of them in our Freshman Seminar Class, but it’s us to up to decide to take advantage of it all.

I’ve been to the SAAC center, and learned that if I need help with my schoolwork, there is a room full of people ready to help. I have not yet made use of the Writing Center and STARR, but I do plan on doing that somewhere during my college career.

Then there’s the library. I’ve spent countless hours in the actual building, studying and studying and even more studying. I even took out a book once. (A real, live, print book) I’ve spent nights and nights using the library databases, without which I could not have passed this semester. And I am forever grateful to the printers all over campus. I could probably tell you where every one is located.

I’ve also learned about resources by working on the Community Service Project. Through the orientation we had in the Freshman Seminar class, I learned about Idealist.com, a very good resource for volunteering opportunity. While researching for organizations, I came across New York Cares, an organization that offers many volunteering opportunities across the 5 boroughs of New York. I signed up, attended the orientation, and I plan on attending events whenever I can.  

But the way we heard about our Community Service Project, the Pajama Program, was through maybe the best resource out of them all- our peer mentor Maria. Having a peer mentor, and a faculty advisor, to help us through the process of this project and the process of our first semester was really amazing. College can be overwhelming. I came in knowing almost nothing about anything. But through the advice and mentorship or Maria and Mr. Medina, I’ve (almost) made it through. Without them, I might not have passed, probably would have gotten lost, and I don’t think I would have registered for classes next semester. Let alone the right ones.

Before the class, I had a lot of volunteering experience. As explained in my previous post, I have volunteered  a lot with children of all ages and needs, elderly, packing food boxes and meals, tutoring and political processes. But, interestingly enough, I have never interacted with people living under the poverty line, or in shelters. I hope this experience helps open my eyes to different conditions that they are living in, and inspire me to further help with these issues.

Okay.. now for the hard question. Where do I see myself in three years?

I’m a very, very indecisive person. And so, every month since I was about five, I have a new plan of what I am going to do with my life. But this semester, I have made maybe the most decisive decision that I have ever made. I have chosen my intended major and career path, and I’m pretty sure I am going to stick with it this time. Although my parents are surprised every time I tell them it hasn’t changed since last week. I plan on majoring in Industrial Psychology, becoming an Industrial Psychologist, going on to get my Masters in Industrial Psychology, and then possibly even getting my PhD in… you guessed it. Industrial Psychology.

So, in my Senior Year, I hope to have already had a Semester Abroad experience, a good GPA, and a job. I hope to be happy with how my four years went, and know where I am going next.  And I hope to be able to help others through the process, using my mistakes, and my good choices as well.

Upon starting our community service project, we realized how difficult it was to pick which organization we wanted to volunteer for! Therefore, using the resources Baruch has to offer it became very helpful. In one of our freshman seminar classes when we learned about idealist.org, one of our librarians taught us about how to use the website and it helped in finding our organization. Along with the librarian, the best peer mentor ever, Maria, a sophomore at Baruch, also helped us out when we were stuck on idealist.org and we ended up choosing the Pajama Program! She volunteered there last year so she was able to give us more information on it as well. The Baruch community is the best way to get help on anything you need. Likewise, in the beginning of the year I joined the club Women in Business and they were so inviting and have been a huge help with so many aspects of my student career. It helped me get adjusted to the school, make even more new friends, and have fun, which is surprising for a club that sounds so serious! Overall Women in Business has also taught me how to be professional and confident in myself in things such as public speaking and connecting with others. This can help me in almost all my classes such as with encouraging me to be a group leader or to participate more in class. Likewise, I think similar skills can help me in the community service project. Being confident and willing to participate and enthusiastic about volunteering will bring about a greater success. My understanding of community service has also evolved as a result of this Project and seeing all the presentations by realizing even the small impacts we make or the small changes we can cause, aren’t really so small at all. Little things can mean a lot to someone or something in need. In 3 years, I see myself as a proud graduate of Baruch, who is more well-rounded thanks to the opportunities given through Baruch Scholars.

Since beginning college, I have taken the initiative to seek out many of the resources which Baruch students are fortunate enough to have available to them. I have experimented with resources ranging from the Writing Center, to SACC, to attending office hour appointments with specific professors. I have discovered that the Writing Center and office hour appointments are the two most useful tools Baruch students could and should take advantage of.

My participation in the Community Service Project has given me a broader perspective on college as a whole. I, like many other students, initially believed that in commuter colleges such as Baruch, interaction only occurs in the classroom setting and not in the campus. However, the community service project has led me to discover that this is not true. It has led me to believe that Baruch is interested in having their students participate in both the classroom as well as out of the classroom. At the end of the day, only a minimal fraction of a person’s life is spent in a classroom. Therefore, other than the community service project itself, I have become much more involved out of the classroom particularly with the organization referred to as the Hillel. I started attending almost all their events ranging from speakers on the topic of finance, to speakers on entrepreneurship and even speakers on political issues. I have taken a liking to the way the Hillel attempts at creating a community rather than simply an organization. The way I am personally starting to take an approach to college is almost directly correlated with the way the Hillel takes an approach; that is, going above and beyond.

My understanding of community service has also increased and evolved as a result of my participation in the project. I previously looked at community service as away to give back whether or not you are enjoying your time. However, discovering the extremely broad range of volunteer opportunities has led me to realize that community service can also be about discovering your strengths, weaknesses, and potential.

I believe that I have already tried nearly all of the possible resources in Baruch. I went to the SACC center a couple of times (for COM 1010 to practice my speech). I went to workshops run by STARR (Finance 101 workshop). I went to the writing center (to revise my paper). I utilized the library’s databases for many essays and speeches. I have yet to talk to peers for careers advisor because I would like to take a focus2 online test before I walk in. I haven’t had the time to do that yet but one day I shall.

I am quite impressed and astounded by the impressive amounts of help offered in Baruch. Previously, in high school and middle school, teachers were the only source of aid. And sometimes, they refused to help. Here, there are multiple options. Although it may be quite difficult at times to schedule an appointment, nevertheless, these resources are out there to be used for free by students.

Still, faculty and the staff are still a major source of help. In regards to the Community Service Project, I hope to contact the Sustainability Task Force, a faculty group focused on promoting sustainability in the school. Perhaps I can draw more ideas from them.

My understanding of community service did evolve as a result of working on this Project. In the past, community service meant that I had a boss who told me what to do and when to do it. Then I would get my service hours and that would be it. This community service project is different because my group had to come up with an idea and host the event. Essentially, we are our own bosses with a mission, not instructions.

Now to the last but most important question, where do I see myself in the next 3 years? By my senior year, I hope to be well established in what my career is. I also hope to be a key member of the Intervarsity Christian Fellowship club. I also hope to be a key member of a business club although I have yet to choose one. I want to have studied abroad for a semester.  Another goal that I have  is to have found all the best places to eat in a 2-mile radius from Baruch. Volunteering wise, I would like to have found an organization that I feel passionate about. I agree with the Green City Challenge, but I would like to gear towards making actual differences in people’s lives. The Bowery Mission, an organization helping the homeless, seems to be very appealing.

But at the end of the day, I hope that I am enjoying myself and no overworking. I hope to also get a close-knit group of friends.

(Maybe I’ll even have a girlfriend. Haha. That was a joke.)

I believe that I have already tried nearly all of the possible resources in Baruch. I went to the SACC center a couple of times (for COM 1010 to practice my speech). I went to workshops run by STARR (Finance 101 workshop). I went to the writing center (to revise my paper). I utilized the library’s databases for many essays and speeches. I have yet to talk to peers for careers advisor because I would like to take a focus2 online test before I walk in. I haven’t had the time to do that yet but one day I shall.

I am quite impressed and astounded by the impressive amounts of help offered in Baruch. Previously, in high school and middle school, teachers were the only source of aid. And sometimes, they refused to help. Here, there are multiple options. Although it may be quite difficult at times to schedule an appointment, nevertheless, these resources are out there to be used for free by students.

Still, faculty and the staff are still a major source of help. In regards to the Community Service Project, I hope to contact the Sustainability Task Force, a faculty group focused on promoting sustainability in the school. Perhaps I can draw more ideas from them.

My understanding of community service did evolve as a result of working on this Project. In the past, community service meant that I had a boss who told me what to do and when to do it. Then I would get my service hours and that would be it. This community service project is different because my group had to come up with an idea and host the event. Essentially, we are our own bosses with a mission, not instructions.

Now to the last but most important question, where do I see myself in the next 3 years? By my senior year, I hope to be well established in what my career is. I also hope to be a key member of the Intervarsity Christian Fellowship club. I also hope to be a key member of a business club although I have yet to choose one. I want to have studied abroad for a semester.  Another goal that I have  is to have found all the best places to eat in a 2-mile radius from Baruch. Volunteering wise, I would like to have found an organization that I feel passionate about. I agree with the Green City Challenge, but I would like to gear towards making actual differences in people’s lives. The Bowery Mission, an organization helping the homeless, seems to be very appealing.

But at the end of the day, I hope that I am enjoying myself and no overworking. I hope to also get a close-knit group of friends.

(Maybe I’ll even have a girlfriend. Haha. That was a joke.)

My participation in the community service project definitely encouraged me to learn how to use the sources available to me and just how valuable those sources really are. While before the project I probably wouldn’t have sought out the advice of a faculty or staff member because I believed that I would eventually find the answer I’m looking for, meeting with the librarian with my FRO group was so beneficial for us. The librarian shared information about the website Idealist, which we used to find our organization, Word Up. Before this session, my team members and I relied solely on google search, which left us with the extra step of filtering out all of the available options (which there were many to say the least).

Since starting at Baruch, my peer mentor Maria has definitely helped guide me, broaden my horizons and become involved in my school community. As Maria is a member of the International Honor organization called Golden Key, she gave us the motivation to try joining the club. Joining the club has not only helped me network with like-minded, dedicated individuals, but the Golden Key pillar of service has also encouraged me to become a rounded student and volunteer for other causes as well. Both joining a club and learning how to seek advice from others who have greater expertise will without a doubt help me succeed at Baruch, as I now understand how important the “human touch” is. Yes, this means there are some things even google can’t help me with.

My involvement in the community service project has definitely made me aware of how I would like to make volunteering an integral part of my life. While beforehand I found the challenge of becoming involved with an organization quite daunting, this process has taught me that becoming a volunteer is much easier than it seems, and in fact volunteering can be flexible. While I too am guilty of selfishness, having thought that I have other “more important” things to do during time that could be used for volunteering, I now see how school and service can coexist and can even benefit each other in the end.

In three years, I see myself much more involved in the Baruch community and joining organizations and causes that I believe in. I believe that volunteering will become a part of my life. I also see myself learning the crucial balance needed to succeed in college. At the moment, I have not yet found that balance of work, social life, and volunteering, but I am optimistic that learning this balance will not only help me in my academic career, but in my future career in the real world as well.

My participation in the community service project definitely encouraged me to learn how to use the sources available to me and just how valuable those sources really are. While before the project I probably wouldn’t have sought out the advice of a faculty or staff member because I believed that I would eventually find the answer I’m looking for, meeting with the librarian with my FRO group was so beneficial for us. The librarian shared information about the website Idealist, which we used to find our organization, Word Up. Before this session, my team members and I relied solely on google search, which left us with the extra step of filtering out all of the available options (which there were many to say the least).

Since starting at Baruch, my peer mentor Maria has definitely helped guide me, broaden my horizons and become involved in my school community. As Maria is a member of the International Honor organization called Golden Key, she gave us the motivation to try joining the club. Joining the club has not only helped me network with like-minded, dedicated individuals, but the Golden Key pillar of service has also encouraged me to become a rounded student and volunteer for other causes as well. Both joining a club and learning how to seek advice from others who have greater expertise will without a doubt help me succeed at Baruch, as I now understand how important the “human touch” is. Yes, this means there are some things even google can’t help me with.

My involvement in the community service project has definitely made me aware of how I would like to make volunteering an integral part of my life. While beforehand I found the challenge of becoming involved with an organization quite daunting, this process has taught me that becoming a volunteer is much easier than it seems, and in fact volunteering can be flexible. While I too am guilty of selfishness, having thought that I have other “more important” things to do during time that could be used for volunteering, I now see how school and service can coexist and can even benefit each other in the end.

In three years, I see myself much more involved in the Baruch community and joining organizations and causes that I believe in. I believe that volunteering will become a part of my life. I also see myself learning the crucial balance needed to succeed in college. At the moment, I have not yet found that balance of work, social life, and volunteering, but I am optimistic that learning this balance will not only help me in my academic career, but in my future career in the real world as well.