As a senior in high school, nothing is more stressful than having to think about your college application. Your least favorite questions consist of, “where are you applying to?” or “what do you want your major to be?” The daunting questions are endless, but at the end of the day, you’ll come to terms with where you want to study and what you want to study, regardless of the stress.

Coming to college, I knew I wanted to major in English. Starting during my sophomore year of high school, I began writing poetry for my class, but soon enough, my 10th-grade English teacher, Ms. Murphy, encouraged me to submit my writing to larger audiences. The process seemed terrifying initially, as I never pictured myself submitting my poetry to the world and giving them access to read my vulnerable writing; however, as soon as I started doing this, I never stopped. I gained a passion for writing for a larger platform, and I was beyond excited to keep sharing my ideas with the world. Writing turned into submitting, and submitting turned into winning. I never would’ve been able to submit my poetry, moreover decide to major in English, without the help of Ms. Murphy, and that experience, for me, was priceless.  

Fast forward to college, I began freshman year as an undecided major, yet I still intended on officially declaring my English major towards the end of my freshman year. As for my first semester at Cornell, I was unable to take any English classes because of the requirements I had to fulfill, like my First-Year Writing Seminars requirement or my PE requirement. Such classes took up time in my schedule, and unfortunately, I was not able to explore the plethora of English courses that Cornell offers yet. However, I did get the opportunity to enroll in a psychology course. For me, psychology was simply a topic I was interested in - in my head, I had initially thought that majoring in psychology meant that I’d have to be a therapist of some sort, but as the year progressed, I realized that my theory could have never been more incorrect.

During my first year fall semester, I took PSYCH 1500: Introduction to Environmental Psychology, a course taught by Professor Gary Evans. That class opened my eyes to how deeply our surroundings shape human behavior, cognition, and well-being. I was fascinated by how something as subtle as lighting, noise, or spatial design could influence stress levels and mental health. What began as a course I chose out of curiosity quickly became a defining academic experience. It revealed a genuine passion for understanding the human mind, inspiring me to pursue a double major in English and psychology. Looking back, enrolling in that class was one of the most formative choices I’ve made—it not only deepened my curiosity about people but also gave me a new lens through which to interpret the world around me.

Looking back on my journey from an uncertain high school senior to a confident college student pursuing two majors, I’ve realized that finding your path is rarely linear. What began as a love for creative expression through poetry evolved into a broader curiosity about the human experience in terms of how people think, feel, and interact with the world around them. Majoring in both English and psychology allows me to bridge storytelling with scientific understanding, exploring not only the emotions behind words but also the psychological forces that shape them. What once felt like a daunting process of choosing a major has become a rewarding journey of self-discovery: one that continues to shape both my academic goals and my sense of purpose and ultimately, help me narrow down what I would like to pursue as a career in my near-future.