My name is Reina, and the one experience that most clearly shaped me into who I am today is my job as a summer camp counselor at the Tokyo YMCA Frost Valley Partnership. So far, I’ve spent three summers there, and every moment has taught me more about who I am, and what kind of person I want to become. Working there, I’m constantly being forced further and further out of my comfort zone, whether it be in socializing with other counselors my age, public speaking, or figuring out how to best build a strong relationships with the kids that I’m in charge of. Over the years, I’ve made friendships with fellow counselors that I’ll definitely keep even well into adulthood. We spend every moment together over the summer, and we sometimes inevitably have disagreements and clashes that only act to bring us even closer together. We heavily rely on one another and are always there to support each other, and to listen to each other. Working to camp has been the most rewarding and life-changing experience that I’ve had the luck of having in my life.
I hope that my time at Baruch will be as unique and incredible as my camp experience. I hope to put myself out there and join clubs, to meet new people, and to grow further as a person. Although I’m sure that even my first semester at Baruch will prove to be difficult to adjust to, and present many challenges, I hope to build strong relationships with fellow Scholars and to work through them together.