I wasn’t always a city guy, nor did I ever believe that I would have become one. Born and raised in a small town on Long Island, I didn’t have much exposure to the grandeur that was New York City. It seemed like a mystical and far-away place to me when I was young, but ventures to Manhattan became more frequent for me as I grew older. My high school years brought many trips into the city, be it for a concert, dinner, or simply to have a day to explore.
Yet no matter how many exciting things my friends and I ventured in to do, I loved no more than to merely walk around the city and take in the sights. New to the urban environment, every block I walked added to my fascination with the city life. The sights, the sounds, the culture, everything struck me as magnificent, and living here has hardly made any of it feel less so.
Baruch College was not among my first choices for what school I planned on attending, ranking behind a few SUNY schools that were located in suburban areas. Yet when Baruch made an offer granting me a full tuition scholarship, it was an offer I knew I could not refuse, and am I beyond happy that I didn’t. Studying at Baruch is what made living in Manhattan possible, and my months here have been among the greatest of my life. I have seen and experienced more during my time here than I have in my entire life beforehand, and has therefore opened my eyes to the world beyond my home town.
Living in the greatest city in the world has given me a meaning that I did not have before, and it is something I know that I will take with me for the rest of my life. I may not find myself living here for too much of my life, but the memories and the experiences will stick with me forever, and I know New York City will always have a special place in my heart, my home away from home.
