Midway through the passage

I am at that point in my journey here at Penn State where I am halfway through. I, therefore, chose to blog about it as a reflection of these past two years. There is a lot to talk about but I am only going to mention some of the things that have been a highlight of my college experience.

To kick this off, coming in as a freshman was one of the most exciting experiences; the air smelt different, the weather an enigma, the people a completely new set of characters. I remember getting extremely fascinated by the late setting sun, the red-brick buildings that cut across the board, the hospitality of the individuals here and the strange bananas. Everything was just different.

Then classes started and the routine has almost been the same all through. At first, I was a bit reluctant to accepting Gen Eds as a necessary part of my curriculum but now nothing makes me happier. The education system in this country and the resources available at Penn State were only but a dream in my early years of high school. The opportunity to study alongside brilliant minds from all over the world is priceless and has gone a long way to shape the person I have become.

The relationships I have formed in college within these two years have been some of the most significant parts of this experience. This covers a broad range from professors to faculty to students. I had an amazing roommate in freshman year, Sydney, and I refer to her as my teacher of the ‘American way’. She was not only interested in versing me with the American culture but also learning about my own. We would spend hours chatting and I never felt like a stranger in this country because of her.

At some point, I had to deal with the reality of racism and shed a tear or two along the way. This, however, never really got to me as it is a completely new phenomenon to me. Over one of the winter breaks, I took a tour of the Civil Rights Movement in the south and this was very enlightening.

Joining PLA and SSLP (Sponsored Student Leadership Panel) have also been hallmarks of my experience here at Penn State. The people I interact with in these two groups force me to want to keep improving myself because they both challenge and edify me with their confidence and grace. My experiences here at Penn State have been very meaningful and I wouldn’t trade them for anything.