So April has come and I still cannot believe that this school year is about to end. This is way too cliché, but it feels like yesterday, that I was packing my suitcases and boxes, and I was getting ready to leave home and face the world more on my own.
Something I did before I arrive to college it was planning everything of what I wanted to accomplish this school year. I created a spreadsheet and planned out more or less what I wanted to accomplish this school year. Although, I left some space for surprise and spontaneity.
Some of the things I wrote in this spreadsheet was being an active participant on campus. I wrote that I wanted to write for the newspaper, that I wanted to be involved in clubs that dealt about immigration in the U.S., etc. However, I also wrote that I wanted to do whatever appeared to be exciting: I went to Haiti, I became a global fellow, an orientation leader… The list keeps going on and on. Remember that during my first semester, I tried different clubs, some I liked other not so much. But that is the important thing is try out, you may find something that may entangle into a new world.
I realized many things this year, I decided to change my major from English to Comparative Literature, in order to not just enjoy English literature, but from other nations and in other languages. I have the sensation that I am global; I am a cosmopolitan, even though I have barely traveled the world.
Speaking about traveling, I will be going to El Paso, Texas (hopefully) during late May for an internship at a publishing company that focuses their work on the Chicano experience (Mexican-American). I won a coveted and competitive fellowship from Brandeis University, known as the WOW Fellowship (World of Work). I am planning the details of where I am going to live and the dates of my travels, nonetheless, securing an internship during my first year was the cherry on top of a great and successful year. The company is called Cinco Puntos Press, and it is related to what I plan to do in a future. I have told you all about my love for books; I know I will treasure this experience for the rest of my life. It is also important to have in that that it is crucial to have a good standing GPA, but it is also important to have a strong résumé. Often times, students dedicate the majority of their time in achieving a high GPA and they neglect building up their résumé, which can be problematic when you are trying to get a job in the real world.
Also, I mentioned that I am a global fellow, meaning I, with a group of students, will assist to oversee and create a special week at Brandeis, known as “I Am Global.” The week serves to celebrate Brandeis’s commitment to inclusivity and their interest in global studies and be a globalized and non-sectarian institution. Not only is the campus diverse enough, but the people are so interested in other cultures, languages, customs, etc. I think this is one of my favorite aspects about Brandeis, that its student body is very international, not just because of their race, but their broad interests.
I am also going to be an orientation leader for the class of 2020! I see all these great opportunities as a way to interact with other people and network, because it is one of the most important things about college: network, network, network. You really do not know when someone may give you a hand. And the best part is that networking it is as easy as breathing. You do it in classes, clubs, even if you just go and study at the library, you practically do it anywhere any time. Try to go out, do not stay in your room all day long, otherwise, college will not be the experience you would hope for. I have a few friends who decided to remain in their room for the most part, and they are quite lonely and isolated. If you go to a university that offers as many things to do as Brandeis does, please take advantage of them: people do not bite.
Now, I am preparing for finals, which are about to come. I want to send you all my positive vibes and if you ever need any advice about college—I would dare to say, with conviction, that you may come to me.
Best,
Santiago