As I decided my major, I felt the need to meet with someone who was working in the field. So, I met with Caroline who is an actuary for the United Nations Pension Fund.

Walking into the building, I felt nervous even though it wasn’t an interview, or any other event that could make a negative impact on my life. The building was like any other office building, it had turnstiles that could only be crossed with an ID card, and had more windows than it had walls. Her cabin was neatly organized and had a breathtaking view of midtown Manhattan.

Caroline’s attitude towards me made me comfortable almost instantly. She completely blindsided everyone else in the room and gave me her full attention. She told me what actuarial science is and what actuaries do. She did not use any complex terms, which made it easier for me to understand. She told me what a day at work was like for her and her staff. She also told me how she had to keep up with high school calculus  and college math almost everyday.

Around the end of the meeting, she invited me to dinner and made herself approachable. Overall, the meeting was educational and enjoyable for me.

A New Day

As the Sun peeps through,

the sky a deep blue,

and orange streaks across the horizon.

The people ‘waken.

The sunshine streams through our  windows

on cue, the veil on our eyes are lifted

A soft breeze

A bird’s song

nudge my soul, to sing along

With my hair flying behind me,

I know,

much is gone.

But, its a new day for me.

There is much to hear,

there is much to see.

-Arpita Bajaj

Washington Crossing the Delaware.

At the Metropolitan Museum of Art, I saw many paintings out of which this painting stood out to me. Washington Crossing the Delaware was painted in 1851 by Emanuel Leutze. This massive painting takes up one whole wall and is one of the many main attractions at the Met. The oil strokes on the canvas show that the artist was very talented. I also thought that the waves were handled beautifully. Seeing this painting, I understood why it is one of the most visited works in the Met. I remember my friend telling me that it was placed in the Smithsonian institution in Washington DC before coming to the Met. The room where it is placed was full of people admiring the piece. I have been to the MET a couple times before but for some reason I had always skipped this painting. Overall, I had a great experience as I went there with a friend(who is also at Baruch and was visiting the Met for the first time). I was almost mesmerized by the size of the painting and will probably visit it again.