Baruch Scholars 2017

Group 2

I have never had much problem admitting that I need help, or seeking out assistance. However, I don’t always take full advantage of the resources around me. I tend to tell myself that I will utilize certain resources for things I should be doing, but I often fail to follow through because of time issues or laziness. I seem to be great at setting goals for myself and planning big things, but usually I allow time to pass without actually doing the things I planned in the timeline I initially set. Doing this community service project as a group forced me to learn the importance of following through. Working with other people makes me make sure I stay on track, and not procrastinate too much. So why do I only follow through when other people are involved? I owe it to myself to act on my plans, and get things done when I plan to get things done. Actions speak louder than words, so its time that I act and use the helpful resources around me and use the help I need to help me succeed.

While I have joined a club this semester, I have been planning to join another club next semester and maybe become a committee member. Now I have to actually do that. And I can use that sense of commitment and consistency in my classes to make sure I am doing as much as I can.

This project has also furthered my understanding of the different spheres of people and things who need help. It’s not only kids or animals, but it is multiple categories of people, animals and things that could use extra help from people who can provide it.

In the next three years I don’t see any drastic change in my life. I hope to learn and grow, but I also see consistency. I see myself still in school, still a Baruch scholar, and still on the right path for success. I also hope to be working and saving for my future. I also hope to be a more active member of my communities in general, participating and giving back what I can.

The idea that the Baruch College faculty and staff are here to help me succeed is emphasized throughout the school and the people in these positions really embody that value. My participation in the Community Service Project has encouraged me to draw upon the expertise of the faculty, peers, and staff to receive feedback on how to improve my work in order to turn in a work that showcased the best of my capabilities. There are many support centers here at Baruch College and their presence and purpose goes back to the idea of helping me in ways so that I succeed. I have been to the Writing Center table in the library, in which that visit helped me revise the awkward phrasings that were present and develop a better scholarship letter so that the focus of the letter was clear. The Writing Center is definitely a resource in which people with great knowledge and expertise help students better writing with great care. It is one of the many resources that students should use for their own advantage.

In terms of student club and extracurricular life, I have joined Baruch’s Vietnamese Student Association (VSA). The club has allowed me to meet and interact with other students who are genuine and so welcoming. The student club has also allowed me to appreciate the Asian culture from language to the foods. Through my interactions with other students, I was given the opportunity to learn about their experiences at Baruch College. I am grateful to have met these individuals in my first semester in college through this student club.

My understanding of community service has evolved as a result of my participation in the Project through the expansion of awareness that there are so many others out there who are not as privileged as I am. From the Project, I learned that community service is something that not just takes the mind to complete but it also takes the heart of someone. Community service is a rewarding experience and I cannot wait to start my participation with the non-profit organization that my group and I have chosen.

In the next three years, I see myself on the road to graduation with the rest of my peers from the Baruch Scholars program. I want to have a clear sense of what I want to do in life or what I do not want to do in life as well as to have completed internships related to what I wish to pursue. By that time, I believe that I will have gained greater knowledge through my education and through my life experiences that I will encounter throughout the next few years.

During this semester in Freshman Seminar, we learned about the many resources that Baruch offers to students by having people come in from these various offices to tell us more about what they do. When the librarian came to talk to us about the different resources that the library provides to students, it was extremely useful for both the community service project and other work in different classes. Without the help from faculty or staff, it would have been difficult to complete certain parts of the community service project. Whenever we had questions, we would go to those who can provide help and knew were experts in certain things. Overall, we received knowledge that can be applied to all classes during our time as students and we know where to go for any type of help. 

Not only does seeking help apply to Freshman Seminar as it can apply to every class. There have been many instances when Scholars have helped each other when someone is confused or needs clarification for something. Having communication as a group is really useful since information can be spread quickly and easily. When I went to a couple of general interest meeting for the Latin American Student Organization here at Baruch, they talked about being a resource for students. They would be able to help connect us to other people or just be there to hang out. Having many resources is going to very helpful to succeed in Baruch.  

After completing the community service project, I am excited to get started and work with the New York Restoration Project. The project has created a new view on community service as I see how valuable it is and the impact that it can have on others. Over the next 3 years I can see myself growing as a person in and out of Baruch. I’m looking forward to the coming years and hope to be more involved and build connections.   

The Community Service Project was an exhilarating experience that exceeded my expectations. It reminds me of a time in senior year of high school where I was nominated, together with other students, to design and spearhead a community service mission that would appeal to and engage the students at my high school. This project has allowed me to continue building the skills that I have already started prior, and has allowed me to work even closer with a group in order to meet a goal.  This project was different because I had to utilize the resources of the faculty and staff at Baruch College. For instance, the library has helped a ton to navigate my group in the right direction while searching for a not-for-profit. Dr. Medina and Maria Lorenzo were extremely helpful with their advice and suggestions about how to serve our community and how to effectively communicate ideas through  our presentations (Thanks, Maria!). Using the resources that Baruch had to offer for my Community Service Project has proven advantageous, as I am now more experienced with the library, the various academic offices, and the friendly staff. I hope to continue discovering more resources that avail me in the future.

The Community Service Project has shaped my image about kindness and citizenship in a positive way. I can better relate to the unfortunate circumstances of others and am more civically aware of issues in my community that must be tended to.  Understanding the role as a Baruch Scholar serving the community is an essential component to my Honors education as I continue to broaden my horizons.

As I spent the first semester “learning the ropes” at Baruch College, I familiarized myself with the many different clubs and teams. Identifying with my Jewish roots, I started to involve myself with the Hillel at Baruch and their subsidiary, First Lex Capital, in order to grasp the ideas of finance in an interactive way. I hope to find my niche in the student life as I continue on with my college career.

In the next three years, I see myself…simply doing great things for the world and my community!

Throughout my first semester of college, I learned that communication is extremely crucial. I have exchanged emails with some of my professors and Mr. Medina, and it is extremely beneficial to start establish these kinds of relationships now. Specifically, this Community Service Project also helped to prepare me for the future. Group work is inevitable, and this project guided us to collaboratively work with our peers. In addition, the final presentation helped us with public speaking, which is one very important skill that we all need to feel comfortable with.

I have not utilized any support centers yet, but I do know that I am able to contact centers such as SACC and the Writing Center for assistance. I have joined one club, VSA; however I have not gone to as many events as I would like to since I have had to learn to manage my difficult classes this semester. I wish to be more involved with student life, so possibly after this semester once I fully learn how to manage my time, I will be able to be involved in more clubs.

The Baruch Honors Program makes it a requirement to do volunteer work, but after visiting my group’s non-profit organization, it did not feel like an obligation anymore. I truly wanted to help and devote my time to assisting the organization. As Baruch Scholars, we receive many benefits and resources, so doing community service is the perfect way to give back to our community.

In three years’ time, I hope to be close to finishing my Bachelor’s degree, since one of my goals is to graduate early. I also hope to have obtained at least one internship so that I could gain some working experience prior to graduation. As of now, I am set on majoring in accounting and eventually taking the CPA exam; however, I understand things may change, and I am open to all of my options in front of me.

As a Baruch Scholar, I have the privilege of a strong support network to help me in my times of need. When I first entered this college, I thought this meant that my support was a staff of professionals, people like Mr. Medina and the librarians who have guided me from the beginning. However, it didn’t take long before I came to understand the true scope of our scholarly support system. Although the advice I have gained from Baruch’s staff is extremely helpful, some of my fondest memories from this semester have occurred due to my new found friendships with my fellow scholars.

The group assignment given in our shared Freshman Seminar has prepared me for my future at Baruch in a number of ways. At first, I was frustrated when we were told that we could not choose our own group mates. What was I to do without my girls on my team for the first time? Why was I being forced into a situation I wanted no part in? I could not have been more wrong about this experience. I was able to foster new relationships and learned to work well with people whose points of view might differ from my own. In the future I might not always get so lucky as to have such wonderful group mates who are willing to work together so seamlessly, however I will certainly be put into other groups that are less than comfortable during my academic career. Without this project proving to me that everything will work out as long as you put in the effort, I might not be so capable of coping with these situations.

This project has also shaped a broader understanding of community service for me. In the past, my focus was narrow. I believed that small services weren’t part of any bigger picture. However, talking to some of my classmates has shown me that even an act as small as picking up litter has a chain reaction that changes the world for the better. This reassures me that my service is indeed useful and that every little act really matters.

I must admit, I don’t yet know where I see myself in the future. Right now I’m taking my time to find my passion. However, I do know that my experience as a Baruch Scholar has already shaped my life for the better, and will continue to do so for years to come.

I think that throughout this first semester I have grown in the sense of communicating more with faculty and staff. Although I have not felt much of a need to reach out for help from professors I can admit that I exchanged several emails with Mr. Medina around the time we were registering for classes and I felt very comfortable in asking Mr. Medina for help. I feel that it is important to develop relationships in college and obviously being our true guide for the next four years Mr. Medina is one of the most important guides for us.

As for clubs I have joined the indoor soccer club and played throughout the semester. However, next semester I plan on moving to joining the Baruch Actuarial Science Society in order to get my career path started. Although I probably could balance both, I would rather focus my energy on one club and soccer was simply something for my enjoyment.

As for the community service project, I will admit that at first I was a little skeptical about wanting to do community service. However, I have become closer with my group members and I think that being able to participate with people who are now good friends of mine definitely makes it more enjoyable on top of the fact that the assignment itself has grown on me.

In the next three years I hope to still be at Baruch in the Honors program. I hope that I am closer friends with everyone and that I will hopefully have some type of internship or volunteer work I do that will help guide my career and hopefully help me land my dream job (whatever it may be at that point because who knows if I decide to switch majors) by the time I graduate from college.

 

Generally, my pride gets in the way of me asking for help. As an Asian American, I feel social pressure to just breeze through subjects such as Math or Science; if I do not, I am a disappointment to my culture. This pride comes as a detriment when achieving education’s end goal of learning. However, my participation in the Community Service Project played a big role in humbling myself. I realize how fortunate I am to have these resources: Peer Tutoring, Starr, the Writing Center -all at my disposal. The people there are so knowledgeable and willing to help, all you have to do is take the initiative and ask for help. While I have not yet used any of these, participation in the Project led me to open up to them, as did listening to the Panelists from their respective help center during class.

Having seen firsthand how extracurriculars improve school experience tremendously in High School, I wanted to be just as active in college. As a part of Baruchesa, the esports club, I am three matches away from a trip to California and a College Scholarship for the game Hearthstone. Through this club, I was able to establish connections outside of my block with people sharing a common interest, while getting a sense of school pride beating other colleges. As a member of Ascend, a club for Asian professional development, I learned a lot of professional soft and hard skills. From Excel and creative/stock pitches, to public speaking and time management, I was able to develop as a person and become more confident. These skills have been applicable in my presentations and when completing school work, and I know that I will continue to reap the benefits of these essential skills.

Hopefully, in 5 years, I will have figured out my passions through dabbling in different internships and have a full time job where I can give back to my parents. If my passion requires graduate school, then so be it; I realized that I do much better at things I fully enjoy. For example I went the extra mile in Handball and Hearthstone, but getting Eagle Scout proved difficult. Hopefully I can push away my pride and become a more motivated student who is very willing to learn.

 

Journal #2 – What does it mean to serve your community? What is your role in the Baruch and broader community as a Baruch Scholar in the Honors Program and what do you think it should be? How is this related to the culture of service the Honors Program promotes?

Serving your community means doing something beneficial to the environment you reside in. When I was younger I never really gave much thought to community service, when I first found out that we had to do community service for school I was confused as to why this was a necessary requirement. However, later on  especially after actually doing community service in my local middle school, I realize that it’s something that both helps your community and helps you as a person.  I think that my role in the Baruch community is to educate myself but in terms of other people to help friends and fellow students in excelling academically and socially as much as I can.  The Baruch honors program offers an exceptional amount of constant support and help for its members and that makes me strive to do the same for people that I know and for my classmates. I hope to be inspired to do even more than I already do to better my community and I believe that The community service requirements of the Baruch scholars program will help me with that goal.

To me, serving my community means to offer my time in order to help better the world around me. My role as a Baruch Scholar should of course, be the role of a student who has ambitions to be successful, but on a broader note, my role is that of a person who should use their opportunities and experiences to help better the lives of those around me. Being part of the school community and actively involving myself in clubs and activities outside of my academics is of major importance to me. I believe the Honors program promotes these values and pushes us towards helping our community because the program wants to highlight the importance of being a good person all around. The goal shouldn’t just be to do things for yourself. A goal of the program is to help us build awareness and understanding of the world around us. We’ve been blessed with an opportunity to attend school on a scholarship, which saves a lot of us from a future financial burden. It’s a great thing to pay it forward and in some way, try to better the world around us. Of course, we should be concerned with our own successes, but a successful person who doesn’t make an active effort to improve their community isn’t really reaching their full abilities. It’s a beautiful thing to see people who have resources continue to help those who may not have the same opportunities available. Baruch’s Honors program strives to produce individuals who understand that their reach can go so much farther than their own personal successes, and that’s something we can all value and learn from. Community service isn’t something we should feel forced to do. We shouldn’t feel that it’s some form of punishment. Community service and helping those around us should be something we strive to do, no matter what. Having community service as a requirement will help to remind us of its importance, and hopefully, encourage us to continue the behavior of giving back in our futures.