Student Stories
Bintou Majula Drammeh
Coming from a small international school, Bintou wanted to find a similarly small community while still having access to the people and resources a larger university affords. She found that in the ILR school at Cornell, and whether it's her friends, her mentors, or her professors, she considers “the people” her favorite thing about the university.
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Laila Rahbari
Laila’s time at Cornell has largely been shaped by her experiences with the Einhorn Center for Community Engagement and the School of Industrial and Labor Relations. This future human rights lawyer credits them with providing opportunities for her to engage not only with her peers, faculty, and alumni, but also the Ithaca and greater New York community through her research and fellowships.
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Angelina Tang
Angelina is grateful that the College of Human Ecology makes it so every student can have a unique and tailored experience that matches their passions. While Cornell does not have a concentration in maternal health, Angelina's public health classes touched on this important topic in nuanced and complex ways. Now, she's completing her capstone project on maternal health in NYC.
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Maya Jarolem
Maya knew she wanted her academic focus to be medicine, but she found the course flexibility at Cornell and the wide-ranging classes available to be integral to her learning journey. She loves having the freedom to take classes outside her major (like raptor husbandry!) to give her a more individualized academic experience. As a Florida native, she also enjoyed seeing the beauty of Ithaca’s changing seasons for the first time.
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Ella Paolucci
Ella found her perfect fit in the College of Arts & Sciences, where she explores her wide-ranging interests, like social justice and community empowerment while pursuing a degree in anthropology. After a transformative semester in Ireland, she’s excited to continue her experiential learning when she volunteers at the Sundance Film Festival after graduation.
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Cannon Cline
Cannon’s favorite thing about Cornell is the passionate community of peers, and he feels inspired hearing about their unique stories and interests. Likewise, he believes that the application essay is a great way for a student to share their story and showcase who they are.
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Dani Ramos Oneda
Dani found it was easiest to form bonds and create lasting connections by joining academic and cultural clubs where she already had a common interest or background with other members. Whether stargazing on the slope or visiting the farmers market together, she considers those friendships the foundation of her favorite Cornell memories.
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Jenna Resnik
Jenna prepares for a future in medicine with the College of Human Ecology’s multidisciplinary approach to learning, and is able to focus on her passion of supporting children with neurodevelopmental disorders. Her advice for prospective and current students: take time for yourself and, at Cornell, take advantage of the numerous libraries, classes, eateries, local businesses, natural landscapes, and people you come across each day - you never know how these commonplace interactions could change your life or way of thinking.
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Cody Dettlaff
Cody, a veteran student and biological sciences major from Jax Beach, Florida, finds new ways to explore environment and sustainability efforts as a Cornellian. Cody recommends students take advantage of Cornell-sponsored trips and explore Ithaca, New York. Maybe you'll also pick up a new sport to enjoy on Cayuga Lake.
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Sofía van Mierlo
Sofia loves that the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning’s small class sizes provide her with an intimate space to develop strong relationships with both peers and professors. Sofia pursues a comprehensive art education and finds growth both as an artist and an art historian. Ithaca’s beautiful natural surroundings provide a place to unplug, and one of her favorite memories is singing along to the music at Slope Day, Cornell’s yearly concert that celebrates the end of the spring semester.
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Max Goldrich
Max has found a perfect fit in the Cornell Nolan School of Hotel Administration, where he learns about business operations while also gaining a taste for food and beverage management. Max enjoys photographing Ithaca’s beautiful scenery and takes part in Cornell Rowing on the lake.
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Isabel Lee
As a student at the Cornell Brooks School of Public Policy, Isabel found friends and an intellectually stimulating community in the school’s intimate atmosphere. Now Isabel is building a strong foundation in her pre-med track and thriving due to her involvement in the Cornell Policy Group, the Queer Pre-Health Association, The Daily Sun, and the Cornell Healthcare Review.
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Wendy Lin
At Cornell, Wendy seeks out opportunities where she can pursue her hobbies and interests. Between the Einhorn Center for Community Engagement and the School of Industrial and Labor Relations, Wendy finds herself exploring ways to engage with the community and labor dynamics in the green-energy transition.
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Najiullah Basharat
Najiullah is a Cornellian from Afghanistan graduating in 2026. Entering the College of Arts & Sciences (A&S) as an Undecided major, he is now pursuing a degree in Computer Science, and appreciates that A&S allows him to continue to explore his broad range of interests like Astronomy and Entrepreneurship.
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Elena Woo
Elena’s journey in the College of Arts & Sciences has allowed her to see the intersections of natural and social sciences. Paired with her ability to advocate for herself and her future, Elena credits Cornell Career Services and the Cornell Tradition Fellowship for setting her up for success.
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Isabelle Erskine
Though she worried about making friends as a transfer student, Isabelle quickly found community as she explored her academic passions in the College of Human Ecology. Isabelle is inspired by her sister pursuing her own academic goals, and now Isabelle takes advantage of every opportunity. She hopes to use her education to pursue a career in law that includes advocacy for special needs and disabled individuals in and out of the classroom.
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Grace Kelly Fulton
At Cornell, Grace Kelly pursues all of their passions, including a major in civil engineering, unique physical education classes, competing in the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella, and creating their own music for their band. Gracekelly believes everyone can have their own tailored path during their college career.
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Noah Courtney
Noah finds that Cornell’s founding principle that “... any person can find instruction in any study” resonates with his non-traditional journey to education as a veteran student. On campus, Noah takes advantage of veteran support resources and an intellectually stimulating atmosphere to grow his knowledge of the biological sciences.
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