Oswaldo G.
My number one go-to campus resource is the Cornell library or its website, just because of how easy it is to navigate and find resources that I may need for a class. The way I discovered it is by first, obviously, visiting the library. I recall during my first year, while I took my required First-Year Writing Seminars (FWS) classes, my professors highly recommended and taught us how to use Cornell's library database to find primary sources for our essays. This eventually made me become a better writer.
Something I wish I'd known when I was applying to Cornell was how some classes can be cross-listed, meaning that a class could count for more than one academic department. When I first applied, I was initially interested in majoring in Computer Science and only enrolled in STEM classes. Until I enrolled during my first semester, I saw that there were many classes that I could've taken during my first year that would've counted towards some of my STEM and A&S distributions.
When I arrived at Cornell, I was very shy about meeting new people, so I kept to myself a lot and only hung out with my Posse from the Posse Foundation. However, during my first semester, I met my first community through Melodramatics Theatre Company after my first musical performance of Avenue Q. Eventually, I promised myself to be more social during my second semester to meet new individuals. So, one day I decided to sit in the lounge of Jameson Hall, 3rd floor, and that's where I met my true family (friends). It's crazy to say that I've been friends with my friends since the first year, and if it weren't for me taking that step outside of my comfort zone, I probably never would've met the amazing individuals I know today.
I chose Cornell because I've always been a person who enjoys the outdoors, and I remember when I was creating a college list for my high school counselor, they mentioned how Ithaca is a beautiful place. They were not wrong! Even though it is true, Ithaca can become cold and have weather mood swings. I enjoy every second of it. I also chose Cornell because I come from a big city and wanted to pursue my education without distractions, such as another big city, and Ithaca was the perfect location to study.
My go-to place to eat on campus is Martha's Cafe, located in Martha Van Rensselaer Hall. They have the BEST salads you could order! They have different protein options, and it has a good location to eat and do work at the same time, or even serves as a good meet-up spot with friends. The reason why I love Martha's Cafe is that before I decided to change my diet to a vegan diet during my senior year (just to try something new), Martha's Cafe had so many vegan options, including plant-based protein. It made my diet switch so much smoother without the fear of losing out on eating at my favorite location.
I love walking around Ithaca at night, usually late at night, around 2-3 am with friends. It is a good way to let my mind be free and absorb the beauty of the city lights, knowing that it is safe to do so since I consider Ithaca one of the safest cities ever. My favorite spot to walk around is the woods because I can hear so many sounds of nature.
It is hard to say what my favorite Cornell memory is since I have so many throughout my time here. However, one memory I do have was becoming Touchdown during my first semester at Cornell. Funny enough, not a lot of my friends know about this side quest of mine, but I would be inside our mascot, walking around at game events, festivals, etc.
What inspires me is my parents. I didn't know until my junior year of college, when my parents told me what their careers would've been if they didn't move to the United States to provide my sister and me with a better education and quality of life. My father was originally going to be a criminal lawyer, and my mother wanted to be a professional dancer. Funny enough, I am pursuing both of those careers in a way since I want to end up as a lawyer down the road and become an actor within the entertainment industry. Knowing what my parents' careers could've been motivates me to pursue my career and, in a way, fulfill their dreams through my experiences.
My favorite class so far would be Acting II. I previously took Introduction to Acting and Shakespeare Studio with the same professor in my first year, and my major is Performing & Media Arts with a concentration in acting/theatre. These classes have helped me improve my acting skills, a talent and hobby I've enjoyed since elementary school. Those classes allowed me to continue with my passions.
There is a lot to say about what I love most about studying my majors, since they're all unique and lead to four different careers. I was able to discover how I can merge four majors into one focused pathway for my future with the support of my advisors and professors. They are always willing to give their insight or time and have inspired me to take similar paths as them.
I am honored to say that not only was I able to get one off-campus opportunity, but two exchange programs! The first one was during my second semester of sophomore year in the heart of our nation's capital through the Cornell in Washington (CIW) program. I took classes, but also had an internship, gaining hands-on experience of what my career will look like working as a lawyer in the near future. My CIW cohort was all outgoing, and I was able to make long-lasting friendships, and to this day I talk and hang out with many of them. My second experience was during the second semester of my junior year, and I studied abroad in the United Kingdom, in the heart of London. Words cannot describe how wonderful it was to live in a different country for six months and be able to travel to a total of 13 countries and two continents, while making friends from different places in the world. I would highly recommend a student to take the chance to travel since life is so limited. If given the chance to go outside of the country/campus, why not take advantage of it?
President of The Swift Club at Cornell (Taylor Swift Club), Cornell in Washington Student Ambassador, Data Analysis Volunteer for Cornell Tenants Advocacy Program (Cornell Law School), Housing Operations Assistant for Cornell’s housing department, Arts & Sciences Ambassador, Fellow Member for Pi Lambda Sigma [POLIS], Member for Delta Kappa Alpha [DKA], Marketing Chair & Actor for Melodramatics Theatre Company, Inc.
My favorite thing about Cornell is that it is its own city in a way. There are so many things to do on campus that I don't find the need to leave campus or go outside of Ithaca because there is always an event happening that engages students and helps me distract myself from academic stress.
Arts & Sciences has always felt like a great fit for me because I was able to discover my different interests in one college. If it weren't for its amazing professors and staff, I would've never discovered so many passions I had within me, and I believe that is the beauty of life: trying to discover yourself through different opportunities, and the College of Arts & Sciences highly focuses on that.
At least within my Cornell experience, it's the traditions, such as Dragon Day and Slope Day. The "any person, any study" culture and everyone being respectful to one another. I've never seen a university where its mission is to have its students and staff be a part of a community that unites everyone and does not divide them.
My plan after graduating is to gain job experience before applying to law school to pursue my career within the entertainment industry as a future entertainment lawyer.
My all-time favorite place to study is the well-known "Harry Potter Library", aka Uris Library. I love how aesthetic and quiet it is, so that I can focus on my work while looking out the window to see the views Cornell and Ithaca have to offer at the top of the slope.
My favorite spot is Beebe Lake because it gives a different experience every time I go. It can be with a friend, or the weather can be cool/warm, or the leaves can be red or green. It allows me to take in the beauty of Mother Nature from a different perspective every time I go.
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