Don't be so quick

Not all of NY is bad, today I learned to not judge something so fast. Since yesterday was a rough day for me and I had about 48 hrs to get accustomed to the big apple, I was quick to decide and say that NY isn't the place for me. It is a very tough city to live in and the colleges and universities here are very good. Maybe I just needed to visit more schools and not be so judgmental.

Rawrrrr!

In our Columbia campus tour with Beulla, a former Ivy league participant and senior graduate of Columbia University, I feel ashamed that I had the impression that NY wasn't the place for me because Columbia seems great. I don't know if it was because she was proud to be a representative of her school but, she gave us the best tour so far. She had me hooked and engaged most of the time with all her facts and knowledge about her school. Beulla talked about the history behind every building and gave some personal experiences/examples which helped us connect with her in a deeper level. She constantly asked if we had any questions and responded with a lot of information.

Colombia University

Maybe the fact that this tour was more one on one, I felt more interested  and engaged. The NYU tour was more of a big group and also the fact that it was integrated into the city, I needed to feel like a separation between the city and University. I don't know, I think it was supposed to have like a meaning or reason that it was set up this way . I think it means that they are one with the city or something like different people from all over the world are able to come together into a single place. I couldn't tell if we were in a University  at times or if we were just walking on a regular street with huge buildings. I am just not used to that and because I wasn't used to it, I didn't like it. That is a horrible quality that a great women leader shouldn't have because when put in different environments or situations, one must adapt.

I love train rides because the chairs are so comfortable. I get to sleep but enjoy the scenery at the same time. Arriving back to Providence, I felt a such of the feeling of being home which is weird because my home is in California. I felt like Providence was my home and I don't know if that is a sign that Brown is the place for me. So far, I am sticking with Brown because the open requirements and being independent is really calling my name.

Camila and I

Tonight's dinner was wonderful. I was reunited with the Dean and Kisa as well. I also met Camila, a rising senior at Brown University, who gave me a lot of useful information about what I wanted to know. She is from L.A. and had a very similar background as me because she was also born in another country and came from a very family based culture. We both want/are working in a science based career and want to be able to support our parents later on. She applied to lots of scholarships and reassured me to apply to as many scholarships as I could because I had nothing to lose. The worst they could do is deny me but then, I could have more chances to be able to attend college for free.

Delicious sirloin steak

I know that I want to graduate and help others. That is who I am. Thank you Ivy League Connection Program for all your help and support.