What does it mean to serve your community?
October 16, 2014
To me, community service is more than just doing a few things to help out groups of people. It is an effort we continually engage in to try and improve the lives and experiences of community members and it is a way for us to give back. When I was in high school, I took part in a variety of community service projects (both school-sponsored and not). I did this not only to fulfill the yearly 20 hour service requirement, but also because I felt that I needed to give back to my community and try to help those in need. I volunteered at a local day camp in my area each summer throughout my high school career, and I have participated in a handful of events that helped the rebuilding effort in the Rockaways after Superstorm Sandy. I felt that I had an obligation to help out with this cause because after the storm, community service organizations like NY Cares and the Build-It-Back program helped my own family out.
Serving my community has taught me certain values and ideals that I plan on applying to my experiences here at Baruch. The Baruch Scholars program places great emphasis on community service and giving back, and I look forward to upholding its standard. I have only been a part of this program for a little over a month and I have already learned a lot about the different types of community service opportunities that are available in this area and in neighboring parts of the city. I plan on choosing one of these opportunities to use for the community service project I will complete with my group members next semester.
Where Have You Been and Where Are You Going?
October 1, 2014
Hi! My name’s Gabriele and I’m from Rockaway, Queens. I’ve lived in Rockaway all my life, and I think it’s a pretty nice place, but I don’t think I like it as much as I like the city. When I was younger, I used to take any chance I could get to travel to Manhattan. In elementary and middle school, I used to always ask my mother to take me with her to her work on my days off, even though I would usually end up just sitting in an office all day. I don’t really know what exactly it was that I found so appealing about Manhattan at such a young age, but I do know that the excitement I felt when walking through the streets is something I still feel today. This is a reason why I was so eager to start my studies at Baruch.
I’ve only been a student here for a little over a month and I’ve been stunned by its size and all it has to offer. Baruch has over 14,000 undergrads and almost 200 clubs, which is incredible. I’ve already met a lot of amazing people, and I can’t wait to meet even more. I’ve also gotten a lot of free food for going to different club interest meetings, which is nice.
So far, my college experience has been great and I hope to make it even better by making new friends and continuing to adapt to this new environment.