Hello! My name is Eun Bin Cho, and I am from Queens, New York.
In the corner of a narrow block, on the outskirts of a small college campus, is a highschool in its humble appearance. Freshmen enter this neighborly building with a heavy backpack and a nervous smile, intimidated by its reputation as one of the best high schools in the state. Townsend Harris High School is an exceptionally competitive school with a rigorous curriculum, and Harrisites are expected to survive the austerity of humanities. In an environment where you’d expect the rigor to isolate students in a state of competition, I found teamwork and life-long friendship to get through the four years together. Whenever I was struggling with a chemistry or statistics, my friends would hover over my binder during their frees and explain comprehensively. At the same time, I have also shared my time with my peers and contributed to the mutual growth that our school fostered.
On our first day of high school, the freshmen class had to pledge to an oath, the Ephebic Oath, which includes, “I shall not leave my city any less but rather greater than I found it.” On our graduation day, we took this same oath as a reminder of our motto as we headed out into the world. The next steps after graduation led me to the Baruch Honors Program where I hope to continue to carry this pledge. I hope to get more involved with the Baruch community and participate in student organizations. I also hope to be able to balance my academics, my social life, and my work time, and create a healthy life-style to that of a college student.
I really liked that you carried your values throughout the entirety of high school, and that you’ll continue to use those values in college. It’s great that instead of being isolated and dealing with extreme competition, you found lifelong friendships. While education is very important, so is having a connection with people you love and trust. I truly hope your years at Baruch are successful, and you continue to develop more friendships and advance your knowledge.
Eun Bin, it is nice to know that you had a strong sense of community and a close group of friends at Townsend Harris. After all, starting high school is one thing and getting through a really top-notch one is another! As you and Emmeline have mentioned, having support from peers and faculty makes any experience–academic or social–worthwhile. I am sure that you will find something similar here at Baruch and that you will successfully live up to Ephebic Oath in college and beyond.
Hey Eun Bin,
I’m glad to hear that you had a group of close friends that you could hang out with and rely on in Townsend Harris! I can relate too, since I was super close with my friends in high school and at summer camp. Having good friends makes everything worthwhile, whether it be academic stresses or social. I hope you continue to live up to the Ephebic Oath through your Baruch College career, and that you find another community to join here!
Hello Eun Bin,
I liked your introduction. It was very descriptive and painted a good picture of your previous school environment. Being from a smaller school, I can relate to a highly competitive, yet inclusive high school experience. I also thought the pledge was interesting and definitely a good sentiment to carry throughout life.