Growing up in Chicago in an immigrant household taught me valuable lessons, such as being independent and knowing who to trust as “friends”. However, even though those lessons were meaningful, the Posse Foundation helped me become the person I am today. The Posse Foundation not only paired me with a Posse of students from the Chicago area but also allowed us to trust one another for support and guidance during our time in college.

When I arrived at Cornell, I’ll be honest, I felt overwhelmed by the many opportunities the university offered, such as clubs, events, and majors, and I can see why Cornell emphasizes “any person, any study.” During my freshman year, I remember attending Clubfest, where all clubs and extracurricular activities come together to promote their clubs to students. One that got my attention right away was Melodramatics, which was hosting auditions for their fall musical, Avenue Q. During my time in Melos, I found my group of friends who shared a passion for acting and entertainment, which led me towards one of my four majors, Performing & Media Arts.  

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Later, during my spring semester of the same academic year, I promised myself I would put myself out there to make more friends. It didn’t have to be a dramatic move, but something simple, so I started to do my work in my dorm’s lounge, Jameson Hall, on the 3rd floor. That was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made; not only did I get to meet everyone who lived on my floor, but I also formed my closest friends with whom I hang out every day to this day.  

Broadening my Experience

During my sophomore year, I decided to leave Cornell’s campus and attend the Cornell in Washington exchange program, which not only exposed me to the career I wanted to pursue but also enhanced my experience through my cohort. Our cohort of around 37 students really made my time in our nation’s capital one of the best semesters in my life. Even though many of them have graduated, I keep in touch with them and even recently visited one of my friends in DC.

Junior year made me realize that I was on track to meet all my graduation and major(s) requirements, so I decided to step outside my comfort zone and studied abroad in the heart of the United Kingdom’s most popular city, London. Being away from home and friends for six months wasn’t easy, but the people I became friends with were the type of people I wouldn’t find on campus at Cornell. People felt free and were themselves, and I did the same. I didn’t let the academic stress take over; instead, I loosened up and travelled across Europe and Africa with my besties from abroad!

Finding Shared Passions

Senior year is the year I want to go all out and enjoy every minute I have left on campus. So, I hosted more events as President of the Swift club at Cornell and hosted a huge listening party for Taylor Swift’s newest album, The Life of a Showgirl. Not only did I host a large community of students and staff, but I also collaborated with the Cornell Chimes to perform a full evening concert of only Taylor Swift songs and allowed the Cornell Chronicle to write an article about me and my E-board. This made me see that my club not only allowed Cornellians to destress but also gave me a community of individuals with similar passions to mine.  

My parents' lesson of being careful about choosing who to be “friends” with is true. But it all depends on you, how you want to meet people and spend your college time, and who you want to spend your memories with for the rest of your college years. I am thankful to have found my posses across campus and the world—all thanks to Cornell University.