Author Archives: Dahye Diana Ku

At the academic workshop four individuals spoke about their different life experiences. Charles N. Li, Katrin Hansing, Tashi Chodron, and Bruce Payne each discussed and speculated their lives in light of their experiences with identity and diversity. In this way, the Academic Enrichment workshop encompassed the ideas of our Freshmen Seminar class: self-identity. Although I could relate to most of the panel speakers because I am from another country, I did not experience my country in the same way that they did. Coming to America at age one feels no different from actually being born here, but something I could fully relate with is the fact that we are all different individuals living in a diverse world seeking to find out who we are through our life experiences.

Walking into that room, I felt like, “Oh, they’re just going to repeat a bunch of information I’ve already heard.” As they talked about interviews and resumes I became a little nervous. As the presentation progressed, I remember feeling overwhelmed. Since the moment I got into Baruch I couldn’t stop thinking about graduating & starting my career, but for the first time I wanted time to stop. Suddenly, I yearned for the times that I could just be carefree. As my mind wandered, I realized I am really growing up. And no matter how much I may want to stay in my comfort zone, I was gradually being pushed into the real world… It was an inevitable change. In this moment I learned something about myself. Most of the time I present myself as a young lady who knows where she’s going in life, but honestly I’m still just a girl expanding my knowledge of this big world that I live in.

Hello all. As most of you may know my name is Dahye Diana Ku. I am currently 17 and I reside in Bayside, Queens. From the moment we were told to write a monologue, I was nervous and I didn’t know what to think. I know this is supposed to be a way of you guys getting to know me, but I generally don’t just open up to people that well. All my close friends would tell you, I’m the one that keeps everything inside. So yeah, I’ve been stressing about this monolgue and I’ve been going around asking everyone how their monologue is going. But really, I was just freaking out and hoping someone would help. Then someone gave me the most simplistic, yet helpful advice. “Just answer the questions that were asked in class” and then I realized I’ve been worrying myself this whole time for nothing. That’s another thing about me. I worry and work myself up about every little thing…
Well the two questions I wanted to answer about myself are: What I like best and what I like least. For each I will answer with a place, a food, a type of person, and an animal. My favorite place is the beach. But more than going to the beach in the summertime, I like going there when it’s really cool outside. The best feeling is walking on the sand in a pair of UGGs. That’s why I promised myself to one day live two blocks away from a beach (like Kim). My favorite food at the moment is Spanish food, but I generally love to try new foods so I’ll probably change my mind tomorrow. I like to be around people that are just down to earth and fun to talk to. For me it’s really important to feel comfortable enough to be myself around a person. My favorite animal is the beagle. I want one so badly, but my mom won’t let me get one because I’ve convinced her to get me hamsters, fish, and a cat. And after the first month, I stopped taking care of it. So now, even if I promise to take good care of it she won’t believe me.
Now for my least favorites. My least favorite place would be any confined dark space. This is because when I was about 5 I was playing a game of hide and go seek. So I ran into this small closet and hid in there. I sat there all excited at how great my hiding spot was, and then I realized it was too good because nobody ended up being able to find me. I started feeling nervous and scared. After what felt like an eternity, my mom finally found me. She claims my eyes were filled with tears, but I don’t remember that part of the story. My least favorite food is papaya. I think it smells so disgusting. But I love ALL other veggies and fruits. I despise arrogant, self-centered people. Like those cocky individuals that flaunt their “incredible” possessions, as if those things define them. And lastly I hate mice & birds.
So that’s a little bit about me. Thanks for listening.

Hmm, where to begin? Well, my official name is Dahye Ku (with no Diana in the middle). I chose the name Diana because I thought the title Princess would follow, but it never really worked out that way. Disappointing, right? Well, I’ve learned that a name cannot define anyone. Regardless of any name or nickname, I am extraordinary…me.
I came to America at age one, but I still find great pride and identity in my Korean background. I love to eat kim-chi (don’t ask, it’s too hard to explain) and I speak Korean fluently.
My family may be small in number, but my mom and my sister play a big role in my life. We support one another no matter what and we love each other unconditionally. When my mom was off to many hours of work and my sister was off to college at UVA, I gained a lot of responsibility and independence. So despite the fact that I am the baby in the family, I do my best to ease their struggles.
My birthday is on November 9th. With such a late birthday I am not only the baby in my family, but also the baby in my group of friends. Nevertheless, I have proven myself to be very mature. Over the years, I’ve realized that age is not a big factor in life, it is the way in which one upholds and presents them self that truly matters,
I plan to be a CPA in the near future. I know you’re going to say it’s a boring job, but I’m determined and ambitious so I know I will succeed. With this growing sense of determination, I think my time at Baruch will change me for the better. Now that I’m in college, it motivates me to constantly look towards my career and my future so that I can do my best. With this motivation, I know that if I believe in myself I can do wonders.
As for my 3 concerns: (1) I am worried that my habit of procrastinating will never go away. The workload is getting heavier, but I am still unable to snap into reality and get my assignments done AHEAD of time. (2) I’m afraid work will take up too much time. Right now, it is easy to mange work and school, but I wonder how I will be able to balance work and school once mid-terms and finals come around. (3) Currently, I am always on time to class and I’ve been persistent with my school work, but I worry that I may become lazy especially because I’ve seen it happen before.
I think the biggest difference between Baruch College & Cardozo High is the commute. Driving to Cardozo took 5 minutes, whereas the train and bus to Baruch takes about 1 hour and a half. Nevertheless, I love my time on the subway~