Johanna Go's Blog

I think the Community Service Project we are doing is great because it really allows us to help others by giving back to our community. Without our librarian, Stephen Francoeur, we may have never found our organization, Housing Works, so I would like to thank him for instructing us about that. He showed us how to find not-for-profit organizations online. He also taught us how to use the Baruch Library Databases. I have used the writing center a few times and I think it has helped me to become a better writer. I have not visited to SACC center yet, but I may do that in the future. I am in the process of joining VITA, a volunteer income tax club so I can assist others in filling out tax returns. Those databases on the library website really come in handy when doing research for classes such as our Introduction to Business class. For my recitation class we have to do a group project on Polo Ralph Lauren and it was difficult at first to locate data and information about the company. But when we found the Business and Company Resource Center in the databases a great amount of information became readily available and it was easier to conduct research for our group research paper. In the future I will be using the databases more often because it is a great resource and I am thankful that we have such a wonderful resource at out fingertips. Based on that discussion we had in Freshman Seminar class a couple of weeks ago, I have come to realize that community service is not just about a letter with numbers on a page saying so and so did this many hours of community service at such and such. It is about widening our understanding about the world around us and helping out where we can.

What is my role in the Baruch community as a Scholar? First and foremost I am a student because my studies are more important than anything else. Because of my grades and two essays from high school I have been offered at seat in the Honors Program and my tuition has been taken care of. I recently received a letter stating how much I do not have to pay this year because I have obtained a scholarship from Max Brenner, a part of my community. So I feel the need, as a Baruch Scholar, to give back to my community because it was my community that allowed me to have an opportunity to go to school and learn for free. Doing volunteer work is very important because it shows that you are not just a student who goes to school and heads straight home after your classes because you get out there and interact with the world and meet new people all in the name of helping others. Steven, Ken, and I will be volunteering at a not for profit organization called Housing Works and we will be helping out in their Bookstore Cafe either organizing books, working behind the counter, or aiding them in any projects they may be working on at the time. Serving your community can also mean tutoring other students who don’t understand a subject such as math, science, etc. or don’t understand exactly how to do something. It is my responsibility to give back to my community because they have already given me so much.

My name is Johanna and the first thing you should know about me is I like turtles and don’t like sweets. I wouldn’t mind a sweet turtle though. I grew up in Flushing, Queens with an older sister who is currently in Paris doing a study abroad. I hope to also be able to study abroad and go different places in the world so I can meet new people and have new experiences. This past summer I traveled to Taipei, Taiwan to study Chinese. It was a new experience living on my own. I learned how to take care of myself and really be independent. Before I went to Taiwan I used to be very closed person, but overseas I made a few good friends and learned how to let others in. I also did some self-discovery and soul searching. I came to realize some things about myself and I guess you could say I got to know myself better. I hope to adjust to college life faster because I think my brain is still thinking about the past summer and traveling around the world. As a college student I expect to be challenged but also to manage my time. I expect that I will push myself to be a better person academically and physically (going to the gym every week). I am worried about my grades because as an Honor’s student I have to maintain a certain GPA. I hope to meet new people and establish connections because I hear college is the best time for doing that. Above all, I wish to have a good college experience because everyone tells me how fun college is.

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