One thing I love about Cornell is how diverse and niche many of our clubs are. For more context, I am majoring in Atmospheric Science. This is a very small major at Cornell, so the Cornell Chapter of the American Meteorological Society (i.e., Cornell Weather) sent me an email before I even arrived as a freshman in the fall. They sent me Cornell Weather stickers in the mail and let me Zoom in to watch one of their Forecast Nights and meet some club members. From the beginning, I already felt highly welcome within this club and the weather community here at Cornell. 

Once I arrived at school, I was very active within the club, participating in their socials and even attending two of the trips they took to meteorology conferences. I also enjoyed attending Forecast Night every Thursday, where club members get together and talk and present about anything and everything weather. I have had a passion for the weather for almost my entire life, which is a very niche interest, so through this club, I have finally found a community that also loves the weather.  

As a sophomore, I was eager to get more involved. Some upper-class students encouraged me to run for an executive board position and I became the club secretary. Within this position, I took notes during the meetings and was the editor of the club’s biannual journal, Ithacation. This journal is a great way to practice weather communication skills and is so interesting to read because it continuously teaches me something new about the weather! This year, I plan to write an article about the English-Spanish language barrier within meteorology in the United States. 

I decided to run and was elected as the club president during my junior year. In this position, I continue to love my involvement in the club and look forward to every meeting and event. Over the past two years, Cornell Weather has given me long-lasting friendships and valuable experiences that I can take into my professional career. One of my favorites was attending the American Meteorological Society’s annual conference in Denver, CO, last year! 

I can’t wait to continue to see this club grow over the rest of my time here, and I will be sad to leave it once I graduate. However, I will be sure to attend the Cornell Weather alum weekends every spring.