Author Archives: Ross Calimilm

So far, to be honest, I have not felt the need to contact or request any services that the support centers at Baruch offer. I’m not entirely sure what help we would need or what center to go to get that help. I’ve thought about going to the Writing Center for English papers, but never followed through. My grades don’t reflect that I need any help currently, but it’s nice to know that these resources are available to me whenever I need them.

Unfortunately, as a result of the surprise onset of work (English papers!) that I experienced sometime in October, my involvement with student organizations is minimal. My first day at Baruch, I attended an Ambassador’s meeting. It’s a group that gives campus tours to prospective Baruch students. Ever since that day, I have been to one Ambassador event. I’m surprised I even made it to that one, because daunting commute. The commute is actually another contributing factor to my perceived lack of interest in clubs. Joining and actively participating in organizations seems more feasible next term- when I’ve settled into the commuter life.

In terms of other Baruch-related organizations, I am actually excited for the community service project. We are yet to volunteer, but I expect that getting involved in Change For Kids (the focus of my group’s community service project) will be rewarding on a few levels. Obviously it will be great to help kids learn and become better students, but it will also be good practice for life in general. We will always need to get out there, talk to people, and make friends- something especially important for students entering the field of business. I think that volunteering is great for learning to connect with people from different walks of life. If my experience at Change For Kids matches my expectations, I can see myself getting increasingly involved as I progress through college. And not just with CFK, but various organizations with different focuses and goals.

As a Baruch Scholar, I receive a scholarship that pays for the classes that I take at Baruch. I am essentially going to college for free. Because of this, I feel that I have a responsibility to make use of what I am given and then give back to my community. As a Scholar, I want to do well in my classes and maintain a high GPA so that I can continue to be a part of the program. My responsibilities to Baruch go beyond just getting good grades- I also want to be active in student organizations that interest me- maybe even start one myself.

“Pay it forward.” If you’ve ever heard of that expression, then you’ll understand what I mean when I say that I have a responsibility to give back to the community. The Scholars have been given a great opportunity that allows us to go to college. Just as the Scholars Program has helped us, we need to help others in less fortunate situations.

Most of us already have community service experience coming into the Scholars Program. We are encouraged to expand on that experience then focus on an aspect that we are passionate about. Scholars must participate in a group community service project so that we can help our community while building friendships with our peers. In my opinion, this helps us get off to a good start at Baruch because we are guided by our councilors and have help from our friends in a structured environment.

I am an only child. People always tell me that it “must have been lonely.” I was never lonely. In fact, growing up, I spent a lot of time with my cousins who I consider to be my “siblings.” In hindsight, they were even better than siblings- all the benefits of companionship without any of the fighting. But when they weren’t around, I had to find ways to entertain myself. You could usually find me building something out of cardboard boxes; I enjoyed creating forts and houses for myself. Cardboard was a very precious material for me back then.

It may surprise you to know that I never created an imaginary friend. I’ve always been a loner.  Maybe growing up as an only child conditioned me to be this way. Maybe I’m just this way at heart. Being a loner doesn’t mean that I don’t enjoy company; it just means that I am not hesitant to be alone in all sorts of environments.

Growing up with nearly a dozen cousins gave me a good sampling of different beliefs and ideologies. I was never a particularly intolerant person. I held some common misconceptions about people and human nature as a kid, but I understand much more now. Though my beliefs have evolved over the years, one has remained constant: I do not accept the theory of a god. I’m not a militant atheist who believes that religion is a problem that needs solving; I am only concerned with my personal beliefs and their protection. I do my best to stay out of other people’s affairs.

That’s me in a nutshell- at least who I am now. Who I want to be isn’t different in terms of beliefs. I do see myself as having a high-paying career when I eventually get thrown out into the work force. I know that I should do something that I enjoy- something that really fulfills me. Fortunately for me, that something is making lots of cash. Some may say that money isn’t the right kind of motivation, but they only see the surface. It’s what I want to do with that money that really motivates me to attain my ideal future. I won’t go into details here.

I figured that the first major step towards my perfect economic status was getting a head start during my first semester. I’ve been doing my work and getting to know people. I would like to try to get an internship during the summer, but I know this will be difficult considering I’m really only taking core classes right now. Hopefully I can sell myself to employers well enough to overcome this.