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.

What does it mean to serve your community?

Part of my identity is associated with the communities that I am a part of. I have a community where I live, a religious community, a community of the schools that I’ve been a part of. I am now proud to call myself part of the Baruch College community. This also means I am part of the community of New York City.

Being in a community comes with privileges, and of course, responsibilities. I am fortunate to benefit from each of these communities, and thus, it is my responsibility to give back what I can, so that others can benefit as well.

I have been very involved in community service and volunteering since the beginning of middle school. I’ve visited nursing homes, packed food boxes for donations, volunteered with blind teenagers in New York City, visited hospitals, volunteered for Chris Christie’s campaign, and my favorite- volunteered with Special Needs people of all ages.

What I’ve come to learn from all of this is that in giving back to others, I end up gaining way more than I am giving. Volunteering has given me a greater appreciation for what I have been blessed with, for what I am fortunate to have that others aren’t. I have also learned so much from the people that I have volunteered with, both the volunteers, and the Special Needs children.

My high school had community service hours requirements- and so I had to choose an organization to volunteer with. Earlier in middle school, I had been involved with the Friendship Circle, an organization for Special Needs children. They come to recruit volunteers all of the time, and it’s sort of the thing that everyone does, just because everyone does it. But I fell in love with it. It wasn’t just a volunteering ‘job,’ it was an amazing experience. And so, for the entirety of my high school, every Saturday afternoon, I went to visit my friend Tehila.

What started as a requirement turned into something that I looked forward to. Every week, I yearned for the week to end, and for my precious opportunity to go “volunteer.” I put in in quotes, because although that is what it was considered when the checkbox on my report card that i fulfilled my hours, it didn’t feel like that to me. Going to see Tehila was exciting, it was my once a week date with my friend.

I’ve come to believe that we are given everything we have in order to be able to help out others. We go through life with our experiences and stories, and when we take that- along with our skills, we are able to help others immensely.

I think it’s befitting that my group has chosen to volunteer with the Pajama Program. Everyone in the Baruch Scholars program has been given a gift- education. We are fortunate to be able to not only be literate, but academically achieving, and we are extremely blessed to be able to attend this college without cost. Therefore, volunteering with the Pajama Program is an ideal way to give back. It helps shine light on how lucky we are, and helps us utilize what we have to help others.

I am looking forward to this experience, and to becoming part of yet another community.

Where are you from and where are you going?

I’ve grown up in Teaneck, New Jersey- a suburb just ten miles away from New York City. I come from an Orthodox Jewish family and have gone to Orthodox Jewish schools all my life. I attended an all girls Jewish High School on the Upper East Side called Manhattan High School for Girls, and LOVED it. I enjoyed being involved in different clubs and committees, as well as really interesting classes. I particularly like Math, and have been involved in Math competitions.

I’ve taken all kinds of lessons- ballet and piano and guitar and pottery… but somehow each doesn’t really last. So, when I’m asked what my hobbies/talents are, I kind of always get stuck on that question. I like to…talk? Oh. Swimming. I like to swim. (And I’m a lifeguard.)

I’ve spent a lot of my free time caring for kids, babysitting and in camp settings, as well as caring for Special Needs children, in camp settings, community activities and at their homes. I’ve fallen in love with working with Special Needs children, and I’ve found that I gain so much more than I can ever give them. It also gives me a greater appreciation for everything that I have in my life.

Last year, I spent the year in Israel. It was a year of religious learning- and a year of teenage fun. It was also a year of no technology- we were not allowed to have any smartphones or laptops, and I realize how much it helped me foster my relationships with others. It was my first time away from home for such a long period of time, and it helped me becoming independent and grow into the person that I am. I also made some of my best friends, who are now situated all over the world.

So..Where am I going? Pretty good question. I kind of wish I knew the answer honestly. I don’t know what I want to major in, I don’t really know what I want as a career. I do know that I want to live in Israel. I love America, and everything it stands for- I’m even born on the Fourth of July But a long term goal of mine is to move to Israel.

As for my college goals- well, for starters, I’d like to become a little more organized, just a little. I’ve been the messy one my entire life, that girl who needed to have 5 lockers in seventh grade just because she had so much stuff. But I want/NEED to fix that. Especially if I plan on moving out into my own home. I also kind of need to work on time management- I am a pretty good example of a procrastinator. I would love to study abroad- I was thinking Australia. Which just so happens to be where my best friend lives. I’m excited to explore different fields and classes- I’ve actually found I like Pysch way more than I would have expected. And I’m excited- well, way more nervous than excited, but still excited- to become an adult. Okay that’s a little bit scary. But it should be fun