Tag Archives: community

Hitting My Stride

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Over winter break, I took some time to reflect upon my first semester at Scripps. I had many accomplishments to be proud of such as getting a job on campus at the Office of Parent Engagement, being placed on the Dean’s List, joining the Scripps Economic Society, and meeting amazing and loving friends. Yet despite these accomplishments, I had a nagging feeling that I had stayed within my comfort zone, and did not push myself to my fullest potential.

Going into the second semester, I was on a mission to truly fulfill my potential. In my first week back on campus, I spent hours on Handshake looking at summer internships, applied to be a CP&R blogger, and applied and interviewed for the position of Development Manager at The Student Life (TSL). I was delighted to be chosen both to be a CP&R blogger and Development Manager for TSL. I was ecstatic that I would have more on my plate this semester but also concerned whether I could truly do it all.

With six weeks of the semester now complete, I am realizing that I am capable of more than I thought I was in my first semester, and that I can thrive beyond my initial comfort zone. This semester, I am busier than I have ever been, yet am truly passionate about the classes, jobs, and extracurricular activities that fill my hours and my days. Blogging for CP&R has given me a great outlet for self-reflection, fueled my interest in my future potential career, and connected me with CP&R staff. Working for TSL has enabled me to forge partnerships across the 5C’s with admissions offices, parent relations offices, professors, deans, and alumni. Searching for a summer internship has allowed me to connect with 5C alumni and CP&R staff in order to find, interview with, and receive an offer from the best possible internship for me.

Looking back at my first semester at Scripps, I realize that while I pushed myself in some ways, I was careful to stay in my comfort zone. I did not challenge myself to make connections beyond my everyday interactions, or take advantage of all that the 5C community has to offer. This semester, I feel like I have hit my stride. I am proud of my accomplishments. Most importantly, I feel truly immersed in the 5C community. Every role that I have taken has given me the opportunity to develop relationships with 5C alumni, faculty, staff, and students.  With each new relationship, I feel more and more a part of this amazing community. I realize that the more I contribute to the community, the more I get out of it, and the more I feel truly a part of it. Based on my experience this year, my one piece of advice for new college students is to take risks, try out, apply, engage, and connect. The more you do, the more you will feel that you truly belong.

What is one piece of advice you would give to incoming first-years?

Graduate School: Not Only About the School

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As a Organismal Biology major entering her senior year, I am beginning my search for the next step in academic career: graduate school. As many Scripps students  know, there are a number of factors to consider when it comes to deciding on a next-level institution. However, one aspect that few consider is that which is not encapsulated within the school grounds. The surrounding university town or city, that many schools share with local residents, can be an important indicator as to the nature of the institution itself.

The way I approach this dynamic is from my own career interest. As a genetic counselor, one must focus on both the genetic and psychology, or counseling, facets. Often, these two aspects require very different environments and support systems in which students can learn and thrive. Genetic research, like most forms of scientific research, requires the lab and experimental tools to contribute to the worldwide genetic database. That means that research focused institutions don’t need to interact much with the outside world in order to conduct research; students can work in contained or removed spaces without relying on the community. In reality, this translates to more isolated, independent institutions focusing on lab-based genetic research. On the other hand, the counseling feature, by definition, requires real patients and other participants in order to practice. This normally means having an involved, present, and helpful student body or relying on opportunities outside of the school. The institution-town interaction is extremely important, as students that have symbiotic relationships with their surrounding neighbors can both benefit from and assist their communities. This may be a vital criteria for a student or faculty members who is very interested in working with actual patients who need their help. This results in schools whose students are extremely active in the community and who leave their respective institutions with plenty of applicable clinical experience. If it wasn’t already apparent from my previous blog posts, I am searching for the latter type of graduate experience.

Now, as college students, we tend to evaluate a potentially city or town by factors like food variety, living costs, and distance to the closest pharmacy. What if I told you that, because I am interested in working in medicine, it is far more important for me to find a graduate school where there is a large number of hospitals in the surrounding area? When you phrase it like this, it seems to make sense, right? More important that my living conditions per se will be my academic conditions. Though not always a true indicator, many clinically focused schools are based around lots of different hospitals in an attempt to utilize their resources and to give their students practical outlets. Additionally, the specialties of the surrounding hospitals and the services they offer may also influence the school’s curriculum. Keep in mind, this relationship is important for more than just medical institutions. Want to work in economics, finance, or accounting? Search for schools outlined by various financial firms or around large business or companies where your skills may be valued. Want to teach? Many graduate universities have relationships with small tutoring and teaching companies in the area to get you started. In nearly all cases, both the school and the town in which it resides can be symbiotic indicators for each other. The dynamic relationship they share may help you to make that important decision.

Working at a Nursing Home

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I remember clipping people’s nails, alerting CNAs that someone’s diaper needed to be changed, and serving puréed lunches every Sunday afternoon. This was definitely not Corporate America.

What I did:

My first job was at a convalescent and rehabilitation care center as an Activities Coordinator Assistant. For two years, I’d spend four hours every Sunday spending time with residents at the home. Each week, I’d arrive at 9 AM and start escorting residents to the Activities Room where breakfast would be served (I eventually memorized what each resident liked in his or her coffee- milk, sugar, milk and sugar, or black). Then, I’d pull out a large binder of different fun facts and trivia games and lead discussions on interesting events that happened decades ago. I never knew the references being made, but the residents were always excited to shout out answers. Afterwards, I’d lead a game of bingo and then escort residents to their respective dining rooms for lunch: one room was for more independent residents who were able to eat on their own and the other was for residents who often needed assistance. Because of my age, I was always in charge of the room with residents who were able to eat more independently. And, after I finished cleaning their trays, I’d spend the last 30 minutes of my day doing room visits, playing the piano for residents in the lobby, or taking residents out for a walk and finally leave at 1 PM.

What I learned:

I’ve learned some of the most important soft skills (read: ways of interacting with people) through my experiences at a nursing home. First off, there aren’t many jobs where you can be told exactly what you’re doing wrong each time you mess up. This is a very scary thing to get used to. Remembering the nuances of each resident’s personality was really hard, but it definitely paid off in the long run. Knowing which resident liked his or her prepared a specific way, seating certain residents next to each other during activities (yes, budding romances still exist at this age), and asking residents to retell their favorite stories when they were having a bad day forced me to pay attention to minutely small details that I otherwise would have ignored. Yet, in spite of becoming more aware of my surroundings and more detail-oriented, the most important lesson I learned was how to treat others with respect, compassion, and dignity. On multiple occasions, I’d hear complaints about how CNAs were treating residents like kids and how residents didn’t believe that anyone took the time to get to know them. Because I knew exactly what residents didn’t like, I knew what not to do and at times overcompensated by going out of my way to ensure that each resident felt at home.

Why you should do this too:

In my two years working there, I had 4 supervisors. These kinds of jobs are tough and require you to be engaged and attentive at all times. Here’s my two-sentence plug for why you should do this too: If you’re up for the challenge, I would strongly suggest volunteering with the 65+ population. You may think that you don’t have time (who’s on a more limited time frame here?), but the joy you’d bring to residents by simply being there would mean the world to them.

My Scripps Story

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“I really don’t think I’ll be going to a women’s college,” I sighed, sitting in front of my open computer. “But, you should apply to at least ONE women’s college. You eliminate at least half of your competition that way,” my mother argued. We talked about this possibility for quite a while until I finally decided to apply to Scripps College, because 1) their supplementary application materials were minimal, 2) because it was one of only three or four schools I wanted to apply to in my home state of California, and 3) I HAD to apply to at least one women’s college. Little did I know the wonders and whimsy I would experience upon arriving.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. I had known the kind of college I wanted to attend since probably the middle of my high school career. Being the introvert that I am, I really appreciated a small, integrated school environment with a strong foundation in the liberal arts eduction. I applied to an many of these schools as possible, increasing my odds and potential yield (as any good college-obsessed high school senior will advise you). So when I didn’t get into many of the schools I was originally excited and enthusiastic about, I was obviously disheartened.

One of the few schools who responded well to my application was, wouldn’t you know it, Scripps College. I even remember getting a hand-written note from Dean Marcus-Newhall on my acceptance letter specifically mentioning my supplemental essay. I was pleased and interested, but still not convinced that a women’s college could win me over. It wasn’t that I had any particular prejudice against all-girls’ schools as a whole. I think I felt as if I somehow didn’t appreciate the women’s college experience as much as others. By attending a women’s college, I felt like I had to somehow embody a “women’s college” girl, which I both didn’t feel comfortable doing and felt like others could do better.

Nonetheless, I was accepted there, so, because of its close proximity, we decided to visit Scripps for its Admitted Students Weekend. As we approached the college, I sighed. I had spent the last two weeks traveling to two of the other colleges that had accepted me. I was incredibly excited about both of the institutions, but had been sadly disheartened about what I had found. I didn’t feel connected to either of the colleges and neither seemed like a place I could see myself going. Both my mom and I agreed about the two previous schools and were not exactly enthusiastic about visiting another, potentially disappointing college. Needless to say, the mood was lack luster.

The first thing I remember seeing on Scripps campus was the huge tower of green and white balloons meant to flag down prospective students and families. I was immediately taken aback by the welcoming atmosphere and smiling faces of the admission staff. It felt almost surreal as I was whisked away into Balch Auditorium with dozens of other women whispering in excitement. I don’t think my affect really changed until I met my temporary host, Maddie, who I see all the time around school today! She was really the first one who opened my eyes to the wonders of Scripps. She took me, nested within a bigger group of prospective students, to the Margaret Folwer garden. She picked some oranges for us as we walked up the quad. She brought us to her residence hall and introduced us to at least five or six of her friends who just happened to be walking by. And this is when I got the first inklings of why I truly love attending Scripps. Every person I met, be them current or prospective students, truly felt like a friend. I found myself itching for more, to be able to talk with everyone for even just a minute longer. The way I describe it today is that everyone at Scripps is a version of me, someone with whom I can relate. And while none of them seemed to be the head-to-toe “Scripps woman” I’d envisioned, everyone seemed to posses certain qualities of respectable, kind, gentle, and caring young women. It was only when pulled together that they embodied the true Scripps community.

I remember speaking to two of my new awesome friends (shout out to Emily and Moriah!) after the weekend was drawing to a close. One of them boasted that she had turned in her acceptance forms as soon as she’d arrived on Sunday. The other claimed that she was off to the Office of Admission right then to turn in her papers. Today, I constantly express the same enthusiasm that we all felt after experiencing Scripps for the first time. I try everyday to expose others to this fantastic community, only attainable through the contributions of everyone.