Junior Year!
September 24, 2006
I feel privileged to be able to keep a blog documenting my junior year because I fe
el like I’m at a point in my college career where things are coming to a full circle. Maybe I should tell you all a little about myself…
I was born in New Jersey, but I was raised in the suburbs of New York City, known as Westchester County. I’ve lived my entire life in the same house in a little town called Hartsdale. I went to public school until 5th grade when I moved into a private education at Hackley School. I graduated from Hackley in 2004 with a sigh of relief. Hackley was a rough time, but ultimately I’m very grateful for my Hackley education. Along with my wonderful friends, I had teachers and counselors who stand by me, and coming into my freshman year here at Wheaton, I felt prepared for whatever my college education had to throw at me.
So how did I end up here? Strangely enough, I randomly decided to visit Wheaton and ended up really liking it here! I was vacationing on Block Island with one of my best friends, Megan, who was interviewing at Wheaton on the recommendation of her mother’s friend (who is an alumna). I decided to tag along with her and take a tour on what was a particularly rainy day at Wheaton. What convinced me was something college guidebooks like to call the heart factor- as in you just feel like you belong at a certain college. Along with the heart factor, my high school advisor felt like it would be a great match, so I applied early decision, got accepted, and the rest is history!
One thing that I wish I had done more of in high school was participate in more extra-curricular activities, and I came into college wanting to really take advantage of all the opportunities Wheaton had to offer. I have really had a great experience exploring all the different aspects of Wheaton.
Something that I did not realize before I got to college was how much I was going to find out about myself, and that sounds really corny but its true! One facet of my identity that I never paid any attention to is my own heritage. I grew up in a house with many different cultures that shaped my identity and colored my perspective, something that I cherish because it is so unique. I started this “self-discovery” the very moment I arrived on campus when I decided to participate in the Multicultural pre-orientation. Through the pre-orientation, I made so many great friends who are students and who are administrators. After pre-orientation, I joined the Asian American Coalition and I’ve been a member for my 3 years here at Wheaton. I have also recently joined a club called Distinguished Women of Color Collective for the women of color at Wheaton.
During my freshman year, I also joined a great club called BACCHUS on the insistence of the club’s president. Let me explain this club to you. First off, BACCHUS stands for Boosting Alcohol Consciousness Concerning the Health of University Students. We are a chapter in what is a national organization for what is essentially a peer-education network. Our aim is to provide alternatives to alcohol and to encourage college students to make responsible decisions. I think our motto says it all- “We know how to have a good time, but we know where to draw the line.” BACCHUS is one of the most active groups on campus and we have events every weekend. One aspect that I particularly loved about BACCHUS are the movies we play and I am lucky enough to be the movie coordinator for BACCHUS. Since we play free movies every weekend, I handle the shipments and the selection of movies that the campus sees. I love this job and it’s something that I’ve been doing for about 2 years. I’ve made some really great friends with many members of BACCHUS, and along with that BACCHUS has allowed me to meet some really wonderful people who advise and collaborate with us in student life and public safety.
Throughout my freshman and sophomore years, I’ve participated in all different parts of Wheaton, from being a senator-at-large on the Student Government Association to being a Commencement Reunion Volunteer for graduation and alumni reunion weekend.
Last year, I decided to interview for the position of resident advisor, and I got the job! Although, I have to admit, it doesn’t really feel like a job. I was placed on lower campus in Meadows, a dorm that typically has a lot of freshmen. This was a big change for me having lived on upper campus (where mostly juniors and seniors live) for my freshmen and sophomore years, but I’ve really embraced the community. It’s refreshing, and amusing, to live with freshmen and sophomores. In addition, I have a really great hall staff. They actually made the really intense RA training fun. Thus far, my floor has been wonderful! I’m really lucky to have such a great floor. Talking to the freshmen brings me back to my first year here and it is great watching them grow. More than ever, I find myself constantly reminiscing my college career…it’s been a great ride so far!
With all that, I hope you all follow me and read my stories as the semester progresses. And of course, please feel free to comment and ask questions!