My dad told me something that I find very true: “Those who are unsuccessful do not know what they do not know.” Seeking assistance and realizing what one doesn’t know are keys to success. When we visited the library and I found out that there were actually websites to find non-profit organizations, I realized that I didn’t know a lot about researching.

I went home that day and explored the databases and online resources that the Newman Library offers. I was so interested by the varieties of research databases. I used them to look up information for my classes and I found that these databases are much more efficient than good ol’ Google.

Another thing I learned about from Stephen Francoeur was www.idealist.org. Idealist helped me and my group find a community organization that we were interested and one that was close to us. When we decided that we wanted to volunteer at an animal shelter, Idealist helped us locate an animal shelter that wasn’t very far from Baruch and provided shelter for cats and dogs.

The first few weeks of school, I was content with spending my two hour breaks with my friends but I wasn’t doing anything productive. I was exploring the area around the Baruch and scoping out vegetarian-friendly places to eat but it wasn’t really fulfilling. So I went to the Club Fair and signed up for a few clubs and attended meetings. I learned from a friend that there was a club called the South Asian Student Association at Baruch. Curiosity led me to find out when and where meetings were taking place and I attended a meeting. It wasn’t just the Indian food that was appealing; it was great to reconnect with my South Asian roots. So, I decided to join the club and I’ve been attending meetings to learn more about my culture. It’s been a great experience thus far and it has made me realize that there are so many ways to give back to the community.