Who am I…..what a great question. It’s a question I’ve been asking myself since high school. It was not until the army, and afterwards my volunteer experience in Hawaii that I started to get a since of who I was. The army taught me self worth and perseverance, and Hawaii, oh Hawaii, has been the most influential and self-exploratory journey I have allowed myself to take in my entire life. So……after 5 years of learning more about myself and pushing my boundaries, who am I? To be honest, I’m still exploring and learning, but this is what I can say as of now.
My name is Ran Tokman, I am 23, born and raised in Israel. I had an amazing childhood, born into a loving and supporting family. I had the privilege of traveling and seeing the world from a very early age. I got to learn and experience different cultures, cuisine and landscapes. I was always surrounded by love, either from family or my wonderful friends. Despite all of this, at a later age, I felt that something was missing, a part of me that was not whole. I felt alienated from everybody, different, as if I don’t belong. Of course this was not the case, but my inner battle and confusion about my sexuality took its toll. It was not until Hawaii, meeting wonderful people from all over the world, in an amazingly accepting and open environment, that I really got a sense of who I am. I am a kind, caring, loving, competent and intelligent human being. I am not ashamed of this.
I have been looking forward to starting school, for the past few months. It is nice to have a structured life again, learning new things, being intellectually stimulated, and most importantly, being a part of something again. This time, being a Baruch College community member. It’s very important for me, to build up my academic knowledge and skills. I am going to be 29 when I finish my undergraduate, and I am truly ready to begin my career, wherever it will be.
I am pleasantly surprised how hugely diverse this school is. I hear so many languages, while walking through the halls of the schools, so many races and cultures. I’m excited to be involved in some of the many clubs Baruch has to offer. I’ve tried a few, and there are a few more on my list. It is unfortunate that the meetings take place only once a week, at the same time, so it is hard to try other clubs. This is going to be an exciting year, academically and socially. The life in the big city begins.
