Pavneet Singh

Time flies, doesn’t it? It’s so hard to believe that the first semester is coming to an end; the expertise of the faculty and staff who helped us along the way has been a huge benefactor. I am very thankful to those who provided us with the resources and advise thus far; and also thankful to my surrounding Baruch Scholars, who have made the transition a little less difficult.

I have made use of several facilities that serve different purposes here at Baruch, including the library, gym, the Honors lounge, the CUNY graduate center and many others. The Writing Center and the Starr Career Development Center are some that I would like to make use of in the near future. Otherwise, I’m still discovering and finding out what other department and facilities Baruch has.

Since I have arrived at Baruch, I have been interested in joining clubs and doing activities. During my first week, I visited and signed up for many different clubs, but there are a few that I settled down with. First, I am on the E-board as a marketing director for the United Sikh Association (USA), which we have just reestablished this semester; the Sikh cultural club was a big thing until two years ago when the heads of the group graduated and the club lost focus. Now, our goal is to reintegrate the club and make it even better than it was in the past. We have done a number of small events and have co-sponsored/collaborated with many other clubs; the outlook has been great thus far and we have a lot in store for the next semester. I have also been attending Wall Street Club to form my perspective on business and finance; the club has greatly influenced my decision on whether to pursue a business major or not. In the forthcoming semesters, I want to expand my horizons to Phi Eta Sigma (a national honors society), Mathematics Society, and maybe even a professional development fraternity.

Nobody has the foresight to determine what the future holds, but I do know that, in the coming years, I will be pursuing my goals and making the most out of the college experience.

Time flies, doesn’t it? It’s so hard to believe that the first semester is coming to an end; the expertise of the faculty and staff who helped us along the way has been a huge benefactor. I am very thankful to those who provided us with the resources and advise thus far; and also thankful to my surrounding Baruch Scholars, who have made the transition a little less difficult.

I have made use of several facilities that serve different purposes here at Baruch, including the library, gym, the Honors lounge, the CUNY graduate center and many others. The Writing Center and the Starr Career Development Center are some that I would like to make use of in the near future. Otherwise, I’m still discovering and finding out what other department and facilities Baruch has.

Since I have arrived at Baruch, I have been interested in joining clubs and doing activities. During my first week, I visited and signed up for many different clubs, but there are a few that I settled down with. First, I am on the E-board as a marketing director for the United Sikh Association (USA), which we have just reestablished this semester; the Sikh cultural club was a big thing until two years ago when the heads of the group graduated and the club lost focus. Now, our goal is to reintegrate the club and make it even better than it was in the past. We have done a number of small events and have co-sponsored/collaborated with many other clubs; the outlook has been great thus far and we have a lot in store for the next semester. I have also been attending Wall Street Club to form my perspective on business and finance; the club has greatly influenced my decision on whether to pursue a business major or not. In the forthcoming semesters, I want to expand my horizons to Phi Eta Sigma (a national honors society), Mathematics Society, and maybe even a professional development fraternity.

Nobody has the foresight to determine what the future holds, but I do know that, in the coming years, I will be pursuing my goals and making the most out of the college experience.

John D. Rockefeller was known to be one of history’s wealthiest men and a major philanthropist. After retiring from Standard Oil, Rockefeller donated more than half a billion dollars to educational and scientific causes. This included establishing Rockefeller Institute, the General Education Board, and giving land to the United Nations.

Why did he do such a thing? Was it because he felt like giving away money? Was it because he wanted to foster his reputation? Maybe, it was because he wanted to serve the community, the one that was with him through his times.

My role, here at Baruch, is still being discovered. Right now, I’m still trying to find out which clubs to join, how to get involved, and what Baruch has to offer. Although I’m not exactly sure of my role, I know for a fact that my role can and should have an impact on the community. Serving the community is a rather eclectic phrase; it isn’t necessarily done in one way. Serving the community can include philanthropy, volunteering time, fighting for a cause, and even helping a stranger. In the case of Rockefeller after experiencing immense financial success, he gave back through large donations. For any common man/woman, it doesn’t have to be done in the same manner; it can be done in any method of contribution possible. Sometimes, even the smallest act of kindness can be a great help to the community.

Being enrolled into the Baruch Scholars program, we have been given privileges, opportunities, and resources that will make our Baruch experience run a little smoother; we have also been given community service guidelines to abide by. To be honest, my initial thoughts were that I was going to fulfill the requirement and that would be it. I know that this train of thought isn’t correct. I should continue to serve the community even if the requirements have been dealt with because no amount of service will suffice for what the community has done for me.

“There are no constraints on the human mind, no walls around the human spirit, no barriers to our progress except those we ourselves erect”(Ronald Reagan).

There’s a moment in everyone’s life when you just can’t move, when the situation must play through and you must submiss to the outcome; a moment when just three seconds ago all was well, but now it was life or death.

We are heading home around 8 pm. On Atlantic Avenue, there’s a green arrow pointing, signaling it is safe to turn left. As any driver would do, my grandfather drives into the intersection and makes a crisp left turn. That’s when it goes down. A black Dodge Charger comes in speeding at us, and a single collision relays several reactions. I just sit there, with my heart beating too fast to count. I watch as my grandfather swerves the steering wheel in an effort to prevent another crash in the gas station we were pushed into. My mother grabs a hold of me and screams, “ARE YOU OKAY?”. My sister just sits there as well. We are all perfectly fine, but on the inside I am shook.

A couple of car rides later, the incident had become nothing but a memory; perhaps, another story to tell or to write about in a blog. Yet, the experience conveyed life’s importance to me. I came to value moments with my friends and family a lot more because of this experience; not just moments, but my education, my relationships, my interests, and my pursuits. I wanted to live life without restraints and I only realized that after that momentously crisp left turn.

Here at Baruch, I hope that I am able to tackle the constraints of the mind by pursuing mathematics and economics. I hope to break down the walls around human spirit by getting involved and meeting new people. I expect to step far enough outside the line (my comfort zone), to where the point of growth begins. Growth as an individual, a member of society, and as a Baruch Scholar.

 

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