Author: Ashley Bolivard

As I reminisce about my very first semester here at Baruch, it is very hard to believe that it is almost over. In just a few months, I have met an array of interesting people and I have also done an array of interesting activities (not only here at Baruch, but throughout the city). However, I would not have been able to be in this position if it weren’t for Baruch’s many faculty members, peers, staff, support centers, the library, and student clubs. Each of these things has played some type of role in my college experience so far, and I couldn’t be more grateful. More specifically, the use of Baruch’s Starr Career Development Center has been monumentally helpful for me. Coming into a school like Baruch was definitely a huge transition from high school and I felt very overwhelmed. I had a notion that I wanted to pursue a career in the Business field, but I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do with this degree. I talked to some of my peers about my dilemma and they suggested that I apply to internships that would help me get a better idea of what I was interested in. This was a very great idea, but in order to apply to internships, I had to develop my resume. That was when I was introduced to Baruch’s Starr Career Development Center. I decided that I could really use some of their help to develop my resume, so I attended one of their walk-in sessions. Once I went, I met with one of their workers who was incredibly nice and supportive and she helped improve my resume in depth. Ever since, I have applied to several 2017 summer internships using the improved resume and I really do have a good feeling about them. I have also attended one of Starr Center’s workshops titled “No Major, No Problem” in which they introduced me to a program called Focus 2. This program asks you several questions about your personal interests and goals, and it gives you numerous career options that would best suit you. Focus 2 turned out to be very useful to me because it has given me a better idea about the types of jobs that are out there and the types of jobs that are best for me. I have nothing but positive things to say about Baruch’s Starr Career Development Center because of their usefulness. I believe that this resource has given me an edge in my future success at Baruch, because once I figure out what I really want to do in life, I’ll be able to find a major and pursue that career faster than if I didn’t have access to this type of help. In the next 3 years I see myself working very hard at the goals I set for myself (whether it be getting into graduate school or landing a job) and not being afraid to ask for some help.

Since this is still my first month here at Baruch, my role so far has been to attend classes and do my work. However, I plan for this to change pretty soon. As a Baruch Scholar in the Honors program, I think my role should be way more impactful than merely taking notes and praying to pass my exams. While I am a student and school work should be a priority, it shouldn’t be the only priority. This is most likely why the requirements of the Honors Program go way beyond the classroom. With things like the Community Service Project and the Study Abroad stipend, it is clear to say that it is every Honor student’s duty to become active in, not only the Baruch community, but the world.

College is all about constantly discovering oneself while having new experiences. The only way to really do this would be to get involved in certain activities, whether it be clubs, teams, internships, or jobs. This would be related to the culture of service that the Honors Program promotes because community service is also another huge way to get involved. There are several ways to help out and give back to the community. This includes, but is not limited to, working with children, helping the less fortunate, cleaning up the city, promoting healthy lifestyles, and even assisting businesses. By participating in any one of these activities, an Honor student like myself would definitely be able to discover some of my passions in the world. Community service could also help build my character while I help others out in the meantime.

Overall, even though being in the Honors program requires a 3.3 GPA, it is also very important to be involved in the community because it will end up being very beneficial to each one of us long after college.

About 4 years ago, if you had told me that I would be performing my heart out on stage all throughout high school and that I would actually enjoy it, I would have never believed you. But here I am, having performed in at least one musical production every year in high school, and still reminiscing about all the fun that I’ve had.

Participating in shows such as Festival of Nations and SING! not only helped me form strong bonds with a number of people but it also helped build me into the person that I am today. The ever so awkward freshman girl who could barely hold a conversation turned into the slightly less awkward senior girl who felt more comfortable in social settings. Maybe it was the endless laughs at practices or the nerve wracking anticipation right before it was time to perform but, either way, something kept bringing me back to that stage.

Looking back now, I’ve noticed that a majority of my most memorable experiences in high school are related somehow to these performances and I almost didn’t even do them freshman year. Thinking about this brings me back to the present because I am a freshman once again at Baruch and I feel maybe even more lost now than I did in the 9th grade. I don’t really know what the future holds, and that is both really exciting and really daunting at the same time. I’m not sure about a lot of things, but I am sure that if I want to make it in college just like I made it in high school, I have to try something new. I need to try out things that I never thought about doing before, because those experiences can end up being the most precious. Most importantly, I need to get out of my comfort zone, because I truly believe that only then would I be able to really enjoy my 4 years here at Baruch, however that may be.

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