On March 13^th, 2010, I remember getting a phone call from Baruch College. My dad answered the phone and a few, long seconds later, smiled broadly, thanked the person on the other end of the line, and replaced the phone in its charger. He told me that I had gotten into Baruch Honors, meaning I had the opportunity of going to college for free! It was the best birthday gift ever.

However, gifts like this one come with one golden rule: pay it forward. Whether it’s being involved in a community or being a Baruch Scholar, the one rule is to pay it forward. So, I got involved with a charity organization called Two Cents of Hope that is helping raise funds for education. The organization identifies students (elementary school-level as well as medical students) and raises funds and gives the money to the students’ education.

Being part of Baruch Scholars or even an organization like Two Cents of Hope is about doing something to help someone else. The Honors program gave me an opportunity and now it’s my turn to give an opportunity to someone else.

My community does so much for me. The channel that India Talks airs on is a public access channel, meaning the studio, the crew, and the equipment is free. I pay the opportunity to host my own television show forward by featuring community organizations on my show and getting the word out about their respective causes.

The Honors Program encourages us to accept opportunities but not take them for granted. Helping the community and giving opportunities to others does just that. While the Honors Program provides us with educational opportunities, it also provides us with the opportunity to become better people.