To begin with, I don’t think I truly can answer this very well. I am a Freshman in my second month in Baruch, and still trying to understand my role as an individual, even more so as a member of a community. However, I will attempt to speculate as to how I can fit into my surroundings and help out.

As a Baruch Scholar, I am amongst peers who were at a similar academic standing to mine in high school. I see them in classes and after, and am growing to be a part of a network of people who can work together. In this community, I fit in as a friend, as somebody who can share information about classes, and somebody to talk to. We compliment each other when we notice each other shining in class. I see my classmates and smile or nod to them in the hallway. I don’t need to have a conversation with them. I can, but we both know that we’ve got this bond. That knowing nod which shares a camaraderie- the community of Baruch Scholars.

As a Baruch student, I initially had a desire to not be the Baruch Scholar who answers all the questions and is a know-it-all. But I’m learning- this is college. Here, there are no judgements. We are all on the same team- we want to succeed. And the professors are there to ensure there’s an equal sharing of the spotlight, so I don’t have to worry about that. In terms of the community, sharing information and such, I experienced a dilemma before my first test. A student in one of my classes seemed to be interested in getting my notes to review for the exam, but I had a suspicion that it wouldn’t be a supplement to his notes, rather a replacement. In essence, I didn’t want to be working hard and just giving that effort away. I’ve experienced similar situations in high school. I decided to make a rule for myself- I do not give out notes. I share, but not everything. It’s a fine line, but it’s my integrity, and I care about that.

In terms of living in New York, I recognize that there are a lot of volunteer opportunities and abilities to become a productive member of society by doing something extra. This will be an opportunity I will take in the Spring volunteer program. From there I hope to see whether this is something I can or will do for the coming years. It is always important to help those in need, but the effort necessary to do so is honestly something I don’t always want to go through. It’s difficult for me to be a person who giving feels natural. I hope to work on this.

To begin with, I don’t think I truly can answer this very well. I am a Freshman in my second month in Baruch, and still trying to understand my role as an individual, even more so as a member of a community. However, I will attempt to speculate as to how I can fit into my surroundings and help out.

As a Baruch Scholar, I am amongst peers who were at a similar academic standing to mine in high school. I see them in classes and after, and am growing to be a part of a network of people who can work together. In this community, I fit in as a friend, as somebody who can share information about classes, and somebody to talk to. We compliment each other when we notice each other shining in class. I see my classmates and smile or nod to them in the hallway. I don’t need to have a conversation with them. I can, but we both know that we’ve got this bond. That knowing nod which shares a camaraderie- the community of Baruch Scholars.

As a Baruch student, I initially had a desire to not be the Baruch Scholar who answers all the questions and is a know-it-all. But I’m learning- this is college. Here, there are no judgements. We are all on the same team- we want to succeed. And the professors are there to ensure there’s an equal sharing of the spotlight, so I don’t have to worry about that. In terms of the community, sharing information and such, I experienced a dilemma before my first test. A student in one of my classes seemed to be interested in getting my notes to review for the exam, but I had a suspicion that it wouldn’t be a supplement to his notes, rather a replacement. In essence, I didn’t want to be working hard and just giving that effort away. I’ve experienced similar situations in high school. I decided to make a rule for myself- I do not give out notes. I share, but not everything. It’s a fine line, but it’s my integrity, and I care about that.

In terms of living in New York, I recognize that there are a lot of volunteer opportunities and abilities to become a productive member of society by doing something extra. This will be an opportunity I will take in the Spring volunteer program. From there I hope to see whether this is something I can or will do for the coming years. It is always important to help those in need, but the effort necessary to do so is honestly something I don’t always want to go through. It’s difficult for me to be a person who giving feels natural. I hope to work on this.

Where have I been? I see sometimes these maps of the world, where you can scratch off the countries you’ve visited. Sometimes this makes me a little sad because I can only really count off 5 countries which I’ve been to, 4 if you don’t count stopovers on flights. Besides California, I haven’t travelled beyond the Eastern Seaboard in America. I’m not much of an explorer when it comes to new surroundings- I like the old familiar. So when asked where I’ve been, I usually think I have a boring answer. But then I actually tell people about my life. How I lived in Israel for 5 years of my life. How I’m bilingual as a result. I talk about the different experiences I’ve had living in another country. And people are impressed. So geographically, I’ve been to a couple of pretty interesting places, and lived a unique life.

But location is just one aspect of where I’ve been. Because this more than a question asked to check off a map of places the FRO Class of ’15 has been. This is life experiences. This is the mile marker at the crossroads of my life, with a path approaching and another leaving from it, built on the foundations of the preceding journey. So where have I been? I’ve been in a Mock Trial team for 4 years, which has propelled me towards a law career. I’ve been in various cultural events in my high school like book and film clubs, Shakespearean festivals and the like. From there I have taken interest in liberal arts, hoping to expand my mind and broaden my horizons, while also sharing the horizons I have already seen with fellow classmates (like those who have yet to see The Grand Budapest Hotel).

Ultimately, where would I like to go? I fantasize about retirement. You may laugh. That’s okay. I envision a house upstate, where the land is measured in acres, not square feet. The lawn can be described as sprawling, and my grandchildren love to run around in it (I can see a dog being there, but it’s not a necessity. I am a cat person, but a dog just fits this vision more). In my middle age, I would have taken a woodworking class, where I built myself a rocking chair. I have a porch, where I sit, rocking slowly, reading a good book, probably rereading a Vonnegut. That’s the dream.

Between now and then, I’m going to learn. I plan to take classes that fit requirements, that fit my interest, or fit my need to see more of the world and its ways. College is for me a learning and a growing experience. I hope to find a good, prestigious, well-paying job at a law firm, where I can build towards my retirement. I like where I’m headed.

Where have I been? I see sometimes these maps of the world, where you can scratch off the countries you’ve visited. Sometimes this makes me a little sad because I can only really count off 5 countries which I’ve been to, 4 if you don’t count stopovers on flights. Besides California, I haven’t travelled beyond the Eastern Seaboard in America. I’m not much of an explorer when it comes to new surroundings- I like the old familiar. So when asked where I’ve been, I usually think I have a boring answer. But then I actually tell people about my life. How I lived in Israel for 5 years of my life. How I’m bilingual as a result. I talk about the different experiences I’ve had living in another country. And people are impressed. So geographically, I’ve been to a couple of pretty interesting places, and lived a unique life.

But location is just one aspect of where I’ve been. Because this more than a question asked to check off a map of places the FRO Class of ’15 has been. This is life experiences. This is the mile marker at the crossroads of my life, with a path approaching and another leaving from it, built on the foundations of the preceding journey. So where have I been? I’ve been in a Mock Trial team for 4 years, which has propelled me towards a law career. I’ve been in various cultural events in my high school like book and film clubs, Shakespearean festivals and the like. From there I have taken interest in liberal arts, hoping to expand my mind and broaden my horizons, while also sharing the horizons I have already seen with fellow classmates (like those who have yet to see The Grand Budapest Hotel).

Ultimately, where would I like to go? I fantasize about retirement. You may laugh. That’s okay. I envision a house upstate, where the land is measured in acres, not square feet. The lawn can be described as sprawling, and my grandchildren love to run around in it (I can see a dog being there, but it’s not a necessity. I am a cat person, but a dog just fits this vision more). In my middle age, I would have taken a woodworking class, where I built myself a rocking chair. I have a porch, where I sit, rocking slowly, reading a good book, probably rereading a Vonnegut. That’s the dream.

Between now and then, I’m going to learn. I plan to take classes that fit requirements, that fit my interest, or fit my need to see more of the world and its ways. College is for me a learning and a growing experience. I hope to find a good, prestigious, well-paying job at a law firm, where I can build towards my retirement. I like where I’m headed.

Where have I been? I see sometimes these maps of the world, where you can scratch off the countries you’ve visited. Sometimes this makes me a little sad because I can only really count off 5 countries which I’ve been to, 4 if you don’t count stopovers on flights. Besides California, I haven’t travelled beyond the Eastern Seaboard in America. I’m not much of an explorer when it comes to new surroundings- I like the old familiar. So when asked where I’ve been, I usually think I have a boring answer. But then I actually tell people about my life. How I lived in Israel for 5 years of my life. How I’m bilingual as a result. I talk about the different experiences I’ve had living in another country. And people are impressed. So geographically, I’ve been to a couple of pretty interesting places, and lived a unique life.

But location is just one aspect of where I’ve been. Because this more than a question asked to check off a map of places the FRO Class of ’15 has been. This is life experiences. This is the mile marker at the crossroads of my life, with a path approaching and another leaving from it, built on the foundations of the preceding journey. So where have I been? I’ve been in a Mock Trial team for 4 years, which has propelled me towards a law career. I’ve been in various cultural events in my high school like book and film clubs, Shakespearean festivals and the like. From there I have taken interest in liberal arts, hoping to expand my mind and broaden my horizons, while also sharing the horizons I have already seen with fellow classmates (like those who have yet to see The Grand Budapest Hotel).

Ultimately, where would I like to go? I fantasize about retirement. You may laugh. That’s okay. I envision a house upstate, where the land is measured in acres, not square feet. The lawn can be described as sprawling, and my grandchildren love to run around in it (I can see a dog being there, but it’s not a necessity. I am a cat person, but a dog just fits this vision more). In my middle age, I would have taken a woodworking class, where I built myself a rocking chair. I have a porch, where I sit, rocking slowly, reading a good book, probably rereading a Vonnegut. That’s the dream.

Between now and then, I’m going to learn. I plan to take classes that fit requirements, that fit my interest, or fit my need to see more of the world and its ways. College is for me a learning and a growing experience. I hope to find a good, prestigious, well-paying job at a law firm, where I can build towards my retirement. I like where I’m headed.