Walking on to campus in August, I felt a sense of home and familiarity I had been looking forward to all summer! Returning to school as a sophomore and being able to reunite with my friends and classmates brought me joy and a renewed sense of community. With beautiful upstate New York fall weather, I spent much of my time outdoors in the beginning of the semester on and off campus. I carved out lots of time to take advantage of some State Parks and The New York State Fair. Academically, this semester opened my eyes so much. I began to take classes focused on my major of Public Health. In my favorite class, Community Health Promotions, we spent time working with organizations within the Syracuse community as part of the service learning this class required. I loved learning about the city where I’ve been living and how I can help influence positive changes. Outside of that class, I wanted to find other ways to get involved with the community. My friends and I found a city clean up initiative created by the mayor and spent time on the east side of the city helping to pick up trash and clean up neighborhoods. This was so rewarding as I got to talk to many residents of this area who were grateful for the help and support from S.U. students. It was inspiring to meet the mayor of Syracuse as he came to thank everyone for their efforts! Although I definitely faced academic challenges, I think that this semester helped me grow as a learner and showed me how hard I’m able to work. I’m eternally grateful MVYouth has allowed me to take advantage of these amazing experiences and I’m so excited for what the rest of the year has in store!