Nic Andre - Holy Cross College

This past semester on Mount Saint James was incredible. While the pandemic's challenges are still ever-present, it was a true blessing to be back in the classroom and on the soccer field again, which provided a semblance of normalcy.

Having taken a leave of absence last year, I was extremely excited to head back to campus for in-person classes and my first soccer season since 2019. However, accompanying this excitement were some nerves as well. I was slightly worried that the academic rigor might come as a shock, especially while traveling and playing two games a week. However, this fear proved unfounded, and reacquainting myself with the college lifestyle was much like riding a bike. By the end of the second week of classes, it felt as though I had never left at all. The community I have been fortunate to be a part of at Holy Cross made the transition back smoother than I ever could've hoped. I was challenged by my courses and by my peers, teammates, and coaches daily, providing the opportunity for personal growth across the board. Whether in the classroom, on the field, in the weight room, or during the countless hours spent in the dining hall with my friends, I enjoyed every minute of my time this semester. I am excited to return to Holy Cross at the end of the month and see what more is in store.

As always, none of these experiences would be possible without the generosity of MVYouth. I honestly can't begin to thank you enough for all you've done for me, as well as the rest of the scholarship recipients and the island community as a whole.

Chris Aring - Olin College

This past year has been one of many changes for me. In September, I moved to California and started work as a Program Coordinator for Ginkgo Bioworks. The move, the new job, and the new experiences have led me to think more deeply about what I find fulfilling.

Working at Ginkgo has been amazing for me. I manage day-to-day courier network operations for pooled SARS-CoV-2 testing to protect the health of students, educators, and families nationwide. Being able to make a direct positive impact on others has filled me with new excitement and drive. I continue my work at Ginkgo to improve logistics operations.

My focus has shifted a bit in the last few months. I will be attending a pre-med post-baccalaureate program this summer or fall to fulfill the basic science requirements needed to attend medical school. My goal is to apply my background and experience to positively impact individuals' health and well-being. I am fortunate to have gained many useful skills through my engineering education. I want to use this knowledge to advance innovations in healthcare long-term.

I want to thank my community, friends, family, and the generosity of MVYouth for supporting me through my undergraduate studies at Olin College. I continue to use the experience gained at college to push my life and career forward.

Meghan Sonia - Anna Maria College

This past semester has been another adventure in itself. This semester, as a junior at Anna Maria College, began to have a more normal feeling. It started in August when I came back early for my field hockey preseason. There was an exciting ‘energy’ among campus that lacked the past year. Our field hockey season was challenging, but we reminded ourselves how lucky we are to be back on the field. I also was lucky enough to get back on the ice for our ice hockey season. Despite the covid setbacks last year, our hockey team came out more forceful this season. We are on track for setting a historic record season in wins.

I had a phenomenal first semester of my junior year within the classroom. This was my first semester with only nursing classes, in addition, my first clinical experience. I took pharmacology where I learned about 250 medications that I will see in my career. I also took a health assessment class which involved learning about our hands-on inspection of each patient we encounter. Lastly, I took a fundamentals class that incorporated my first clinical. In the classroom, we learned about procedures that nurses could perform in the hospital. My clinical was truly my best experience. I was given one patient to take care of once a week and I learned so much from this. I worked alongside nurses to administer this patient’s medications, perform daily care, and learn how to interact with different types of patients. Next semester I will get more clinical opportunities to strengthen my technical and interpersonal skills. As Covid and our lives are ever-changing, I am excited to see what is in store for me. I am beyond grateful to MVYouth for giving me this opportunity to have these experiences. Thank you so much.

Max Smith - Cape Cod Community College

I don’t think anyone can really put into words what a crazy year it has been for everyone during this unique time. As most in the country, what I considered my daily norm has changed quite a bit. I have recently taken a break from school to try and get myself into a steady routine. With this break I have found myself transitioning my life down south to Tampa, FL where I am going to get a job and try and figure out what my next step is going to be. Although a big move and life change like this can be nerve-racking, I find myself more excited than anything else. There are so many questions I still need the answers to as far as my distant future and what I want to do moving forward but for now I’m happy navigating the world on my own and the adventures that will come with that. I hope to soon get back into the aviation world, this time as a hopefully soon-to-be pilot. My love for the aviation world will always be with me through everything, even if I step aside from it for now it will always be with me in my heart. Something that has also been with me through these crazy times has been the support from the wonderful folks of MVYouth and for that I continue to be and will always be forever grateful. Having this support during this past year or so has been life changing. Even in the most difficult of times knowing there are people out there supporting whatever I choose to do makes everything that was once difficult seem much easier. So from the bottom of my heart, thank you all for the support as I navigate the next stage of my life.

Evelyn Medeiros - Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Science University

This past year has been one of immense change as well as growth for me. As I finished up my last semester of nursing school, I started working as a COVID-19 vaccinator as a way to get more involved with my community and help others stay safe. Through this, I was fortunate enough to talk to so many different individuals and hear countless stories of how COVID has impacted them, some inspiring and some heartbreaking. It certainly changed the way I view this pandemic and how it affects those around us.

Then in May, after adjusting to many online classes and limited in-person clinical hours, I graduated with my Bachelors of Science in Nursing and began studying for the national licensure exam. During this time, I also continued to work, vaccinating members of my Boston community, as well as people from all over the world. After many long hours of studying and lots of caffeine, I passed my exam and became a registered nurse in July, just before my 21st birthday. From there, I came back to the island to spend some time with my loved ones and work for my family business before starting my first nursing job at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. I am currently working on a medical surgical floor, which has a mix of patients ranging in age from 18 to 105, presenting with illnesses of all kinds. It certainly has not been easy to start during a time with challenges such as understaffing and a lack of available hospital beds. However, I have been surrounded by some incredibly smart and caring nurses and co-workers that have taught me more than I ever could have imagined. I am so thankful for those around me that have done so much to get me where I am today and continue to support me while I do what I love.

Emma Searle - Boston College

This semester I have been so fortunate to have been afforded the opportunity to study abroad in Italy. Beginning in early September, I spent three weeks in Florence with ten other Boston College undergraduate students before moving to Parma where we spent the remaining portion of the semester. While in Florence, we took an immersive art history class that brought us to a different site each day. The Uffizi Gallery, Michelangelo’s David, and a host of churches were only some among the breadth of historically and artistically-rich landmarks covered over the duration of the course. Once in Parma, we assumed a more typical four-class course load in which I was able to take both communication and philosophy courses to continue working toward the completion of my majors’ requirements.

Somewhat serendipitously, our classes were only held on Mondays through Thursdays, which allowed us to embark on a great number of weekend trips throughout Italy as well as to a few other European countries. Though I couldn’t pick a favorite among these excursions, I particularly enjoyed the trips we took to sea-side towns as well as our penultimate weekend spent in France. Perhaps the highlight of my time abroad, however, was the cooking class taught by a local chef and Parma native who so graciously welcomed us into her home each week. Every Wednesday we gathered as a group to cook traditional Emilian meals over which we would share innumerable laughs and foster invaluable friendships.

Though my return home has been bittersweet, the prevailing feeling I am left with has been that of gratitude for such a remarkable experience. I can not overstate how thankful I am to MVYouth for your continued support and for allowing me to pursue this tremendous opportunity.

Meghan Sawyer - Colgate University

I can’t believe my time at Colgate University is now coming to an end. The past three and a half years I’ve spent here have been so wonderful and I can’t express how much I appreciate MVYouth’s support towards my college education. This semester I experienced a much greater return to normalcy compared to last semester's COVID precautions. All my classes were in person and campus was much more lively. One of my favorite classes this semester was one called Natural Resource Economics. I loved learning about economic techniques used to inform environmental policies. This course explored real life problems as we developed mathematical models to solve for optimal ways to allocate and distribute resources. Some examples of problems we discussed include proper water allocation, combating air pollution, oil extraction, and fishery management. I also really enjoyed an astronomy class I took this semester. This class met in the visualization lab, which is a room meant for large-scale visualization. It has a large dome ceiling that projects images of outer space for our viewing and learning. It was an exciting environment to be in, and it altered my perspective of the universe and even our own lives here on Earth. Outside of academics, I’ve been busy participating in a fundraising campaign with my sorority for St. Jude Children's Hospital, and I was also a captain of our club ultimate frisbee team. I’ve been traveling some weekends to places like Saratoga Springs and Ithaca for tournaments. I’ve really enjoyed leading a team because I get to see the improvement of new and current players that I’ve coached first hand. Thank you MVYouth for everything.

Jo Orr - Wagner College

After taking a gap year last year because of the way the pandemic was affecting my performance-based classes, I decided to wait to return to Wagner College until the fall of 2022. I needed to work on myself and I didn’t want to go back to college until I felt 100% myself. While I’m still on the Vineyard, I’ve been renting my own place—enjoying my independence—and working full time as a nanny to two children, which has been educational and entertaining in a world of less and less social contact.

While I miss being a full-time performer, I still have online voice lessons and rehearse, and I have been expanding my musical theatre repertoire. I’ve also been making new friends in the theatre industry online, and have been commissioned by several of them to create artwork. I am continuing writing my musical, and am also working on set design for Les Miserables at MVRHS, this year’s musical. While we don’t quite know how Covid will affect the performance, it has been great to be back working with the team. I’m looking forward to going back to Wagner, but in the meantime I have been teaching myself aerial arts at home, including Lyra and silks.

Louise McDonald - New York University

In the fall of my junior year, I started the semester with the return of normalcy: classes were back at full capacity and most classes were held in person. Even though NYU had a strict mask mandate and testing policy due to the ongoing pandemic, as a full-time student, I aim to encounter new challenges, involving myself in activities from club athletics to academic leadership. I actively enjoy volunteering in my outside community through the “Champions are Readers” organization and opportunities through my sorority, Pi Beta Phi Rho, which has allowed me to engage with students and teachers in the local NYC community. Through my activities inside and outside of academics, I strive to be a leader in making a difference in my community while making new friends and lifelong memories.

When I am not in the classroom, the field, or roaming around the city participating in extracurricular activities, I am working. After my summer internship, I was offered a position as the Executive Assistant to The Chairman and CEO of The Luxury Marketing Council. Every day I participate in the organizational and operational management of internal team projects and communicate daily with C-Suite Executives to help build partnerships in leading luxury brands. With this opportunity through NYU, I have acquired skills in virtual platforms including Zoom, Mailchimp, Oomoji, G-Suite, HubSpot, Handshake, Dropbox, Authorize.net, Square, and Youtube. Working while in school has allowed me to develop my goals and refine my skillset alongside supportive mentors and inspiring leaders. This summer, I am looking forward to applying and participating in a collaborative internship environment of like-minded strategic thinkers ready to innovate.

Emily Hewson - Bridgewater State University

The atmosphere here at Bridgewater State University (BSU) is one of acceptance and encouragement. I’ve begun to put down roots here. I've even run into a few island people! Seeing people from home has made a big difference in acclimating to this new university. After being seven hours and 45 minutes away from home at my last school in Vermont, it’s nice to feel close to home.

The BSU music program has an amazing faculty who are always willing to support anyone in need. Success in this program is inherently tied to how much effort you are willing to put in. Every professor I have worked with thus far has expanded my passion and respect for music. Inspired by my vocal instructor at Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School, Mrs. Abigail Chandler, I’ve decided to study opera. Opera is an incredibly powerful form of performance that requires an immense amount of physical training and skill. I’m utilizing my instrument and talents like never before. There is nothing I would rather do than study operatic performance. My courses, such as music theory and piano, have challenged me in the best ways. My studies are continuing to push me towards having a broader understanding of what it means to be a musician.

I have always had difficulties with writing. Even now, writing this essay I am having trouble meeting the word minimum. At BSU I know if I reach out, I will be granted the help that I need. I’m very lucky to have been able to attend college again after my sabbatical. Last fall was just the beginning of my successful college career at Bridgewater. This past fall semester has been an amazing learning experience. I can’t wait to go back in the spring.

Andres Garcia - Cornell University

Going back to a fully in-person campus was amazing because I was finally back to the same Cornell University from two years ago, before the pandemic. I was able to attend lectures with all of my friends and classmates present, spend more time on campus, attend office hours in person and actually converse with my TA’s without technical issues from zoom. Although the workload was a bit overwhelming at first, I quickly found my rhythm and was able to manage my time wisely. I felt that being able to physically attend my classes and having one on one conversations with professors helped me learn the material in a more in-depth way than before and it helped me think about my future. I realized that I want to learn more about computer science and hope to find an internship that can combine mechanical engineering with computer science. I plan on focusing more of my time next semester on networking in order to build connections so that I can find such a job or even do research at Cornell or another university over the summer.

I was able to reconnect with so many people whom I lost touch with over the pandemic. I spent most of my time at my fraternity house, everyone wanted to pick up where we left off last semester and have the best possible time. We organized many social events and even attended a Patriots/Bills game as a house. I loved having something that could distract me from school when I felt overwhelmed and it was something that I missed last year. Despite the Covid outbreak that happened the last two weeks, having the first three months feel normal proved that we can handle this pandemic and I can’t wait to go back in the spring.

Sam Cranston - University of Vermont

This past year has been an eventful one for me as we transition back to somewhat normal life. As a junior, I moved off campus into a large house with 8 other roommates! There definitely was an adjustment period, but I will say that my cooking skills have improved dramatically. While I sometimes miss the simplicity of dorm life, it is nice to be truly independent and I have embraced the responsibility of living on my own.

Academically, I decided to use this fall semester to focus on fulfilling my requirements for UVM’s college of arts and sciences. This meant I would be taking courses outside of the typical biology and chemistry classes I have grown accustomed to. I figured this would be a good way to transition from COVID college back to normal school. My high grades in psychology, philosophy of science and field zoology prove that I made the right decision.

With a less demanding course load, I was able to secure a research position studying avian malaria recently discovered in New England's common loon populations. In 2016, a loon was found dead from an apparent malaria infection. This was the first documented case of avian malaria in loons. Numerous other bird species have experienced significant population declines due to avian malaria, making this discovery very concerning. My lab instructor, Ellen Martinson, has been researching the spread of avian malaria using blood samples from loons across the northern United States. I focused on the mosquito species that transmit the disease, determining what malaria parasite lineages were present in New England’s mosquitoes through PCR and gel electrophoresis. In the process, I discovered a lineage of avian malaria parasites that had yet to be seen in New England mosquitoes. I also took part in a loon necropsy, where my lab members and I performed post-mortem inspections on multiple loon specimens to determine how they died. In the loon I necropsied, we observed significant swelling in the heart and liver. This led us to the conclusion that the juvenile loon had in fact died from a malaria infection.

Rose Engler - Brown University

This spring, I will be graduating from Brown with a degree in Public Health. I plan on taking one year off to pursue my venture before matriculating into Brown's medical school to continue the PLME. This past year has been one of evolving passions, narrowing interests, and exploring opportunities.

This past summer, I interned for Khushi Baby, a startup developing India's first comprehensive electronic health record system. As the Innovation Intern, I attended meetings with India's public health experts and used their input to lead a team of software engineers in the development of an app that was ultimately integrated into Khushi Baby’s larger digital health platform. Working directly under the CEO and CFO, I fell in love with the startup culture and learned how to lead a digital health company. I took this newfound knowledge and decided to develop my own venture.

COAD, which stands for Community Adherence, is a venture that incorporates a patient's support network into the medication reminder process to ultimately improve medication adherence—the percentage of time a patient takes their medication as prescribed/on time. Over the fall semester, I translated my idea into action and made significant progress in the venture-building process. Specifically, I performed 300 customer interviews, completed comprehensive bottom-up research, assembled a team, and built a prototype. This spring, our team will continue developing iterations of the MVP and start looking for funding. We are all extraordinarily excited!

I am incredibly humbled and grateful for the continued support and generosity of MVYouth. Thanks to their kindness, Brown University has become my incredible beginning. I am excited to see what comes next!

Marissa D'Antonio - Boston College

This past semester at Boston College, I was lucky enough to have all in-person classes without masks. Though quite a radical shift from the previous school year, it allowed for a sense of normalcy that I had been yearning for since the beginning of the pandemic. With this, I was able to truly focus on my classes, extracurriculars, and campus life. Most of my course work this semester was focused on completing my majors of Finance and Management Information Systems. While most of my classes were purely academic, I was able to take my first true elective, Ceramics I. This class allowed me to continue building on the wheel throwing skills I had learned at MVRHS and provided me with a much-needed creative outlet for the rigorous semester. Aside from academics, I have continued to play ultimate frisbee and have taken on the role of booking all our scrimmages and tournaments. I have also continued to volunteer in Boston tutoring at the Allston Brighton Community Development Center. In addition to my regular four hours of service every week, I was appointed to the position of organizing the service placement logistics and coordinating volunteers. As my academic studies come to a close, I am happy to announce that I have accepted a job opportunity in Denver, CO following graduation. In the summer of 2022, I will begin working at Protiviti as a Technology Consultant in their Internal Audit and Financial Advisory department. Though at the beginning of college I thought I would never do tech, the Management Information Systems major sparked my passion for software, technology, and problem-solving. As I finish up my education at Boston College, I can truly understand what the gift from MVYouth has done for me. In five months, I will graduate debt-free, have a good job I am passionate about, and be free to explore all life has in store for me. Thank you!

Samuel Bresnick - Boston College

After finishing up the first semester of senior year, I can’t believe how fast it has gone by. I have been fortunate enough to have all my classes be in-person as well as living on campus again. One of my favorite classes from this past semester was Rhetorical Traditions. In this class we learned about and discussed theories of rhetoric spanning from ancient civilizations to the present day. We went in depth on the role that rhetoric plays in society, as well as the important part that ethics has in the analysis of rhetoric. I found the class material to be relevant to our society today and I enjoyed engaging in our class discussions. I also took Corporate Finance and Investments which furthered my understanding of these topics for my minor in Finance. Going into my final semester I am taking both International Finance and International Trade to complete the requirements for my major in Economics as well as my minor in Finance. I have also continued to be a part of both BC Bigs as well as working in the Scouting & Personnel Department for BC Football. For BC Bigs I was able to meet with my “Little” Adrian for the first time in-person since the outbreak of the pandemic. I appreciate getting to spend time with him and I hope to continue to be in touch even after I graduate. This past season for football was an exciting one. Since people were allowed back into Alumni Stadium for games, I was able to work on the sidelines and have gameday responsibilities. In this past recruiting cycle, one of the commits was a player that I found. Doing this work is a passion of mine and I am thankful to have the chance to do so. These experiences are incredibly valuable to me and I would like to thank MVYouth for the work that they do to help give Island students the opportunity to pursue their passions.

JP Alves - University of San Diego

This past year has been unlike any other. Coming off of an entirely virtual academic semester and restarting classes in-person has beckoned a new wave of adaptability, which was completely unforeseen. I was eager to return to classrooms and live life a bit more the way we were all used to before the pandemic, and fortunately, the entire San Diego community feels the same! There are more opportunities than ever, and I have definitely made the most of them. My most recent endeavor has been joining the professional business fraternity on campus, Delta Sigma Pi, which has enhanced my knowledge of the commercial world and introduced me to the vast field of business. DSP has exposed me to the extensive career paths one can take when searching for a profession that fits best.

Throughout classes, internships, and seminars, I have been settling into the idea of pursuing an international career path within business law. I am grateful for the numerous opportunities for internships here in San Diego because so many career paths can be explored, and I am counting on staying here throughout next summer to keep working towards my professional goals. Thankfully, the University of San Diego offers an incredible study abroad opportunity for semester programs, which I intend to take advantage of next fall. The international aspect of my future career is vital and studying abroad will further my comprehension of the global business environment. There is no doubt in my mind that MVYouth is to thank for all my dreams coming true. I am incredibly grateful for the support I receive from this magnificent organization and will continue to work hard to one day give back to this philanthropy that has so generously helped me.

Stephany Ribeiro - Southern New Hampshire University

My fall semester went well. This year I made the decision to transfer to an online school, Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU). After spending last year’s fall semester in my dorm room at Western New England worrying about covid exposures and my family’s well being on the island, I realized that I could save money by living on the island and taking on-line courses from Western New England. I successfully navigated the spring semester, but Western New England is not meant to be an on-line experience. After much thought and investigation into my options, I decided to make the switch to Southern New Hampshire University. The process of transferring was surprisingly easy. At SNHU I am able to set my own studying schedule, which allows me to work as well. In addition, all the homework is accessible and very engaging.

As I was mulling over my transfer, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to change my major as well. I still love Criminal Justice and hope to combine that with my new major: Psychology. I had taken Intro to Psychology at Western New England University and found it fascinating. I have always had an interest in knowing more about human behaviors. I took that class and felt that I could overlap my criminal justice path with a psychology degree. Therefore, I will be majoring in psychology with a criminal justice minor.

This semester, three courses really stand out for me. The first is Perspectives in the Humanities, which concentrated on helping students to understand individuals as human beings, rational animals. Human beings create different cultures based upon their beliefs. Perspectives in History focused on the various perspectives (economical, political, social, etc.) that can be used to look at historical events and ideas. In addition, I was required to take Statistics, which I discovered plays an important role in psychology. Psychology relies on statistical research to test hypotheses and present data in ways that are easier to understand. I am looking forward to continuing my studies and exploring the career possibilities in Psychology & Criminal Justice.

Jackson Pizzano - UMASS, Stockbridge

This past semester at Umass Amherst, Stockbridge was very similar to last year but also very different. Instead of participating in all online classes, I was able to attend a full schedule of in person classes. This was very exciting as well as daunting, I hadn't been in a real classroom in over a year and wondered if I could make the transition back. I ended up having my best semester at school yet. I was relieved to be able to talk to my professors in person and be able to sit next to like minded kids in my major. Using all the buildings and resources at Umass was a big difference from last year as well, most of them were locked up due to Covid last semester. I also joined back on the hockey team I was playing for last year and it once again was an exciting thing to look forward to throughout the week, and helped me get through some of the tougher weeks at school. My favorite class this semester ended up being my turfgrass management class, it was very informative and made me think differently about large outdoor areas occupied by grass. I think it will end up playing a large role in my future as it's another large part of the green industry. All in all this year was vastly different from last year and made me a lot more excited about my major and school I decided to attend. Though my career at Stockbridge is short, I'm definitely happy I pursued a higher education to help prepare me for my future. I’d like to thank all the donors who made these last two years possible. Without you I wouldn't be where I am today and I'm eternally grateful for that, thank you.

Alex Rego - Dartmouth College

My first year at Dartmouth College brought as much growth as it did adversity. My freshman fall term was on-campus and remote; my freshman winter term was off-campus and remote (inspiring an exciting cross-country trip with new friends); my freshman spring term was on-campus and remote; my sophomore fall was on-campus and in-person(!); and finally, my upcoming sophomore winter term will be on-campus with a hybrid format. My peers and I reconciled with sudden and distressing changes as we not only faced a global health pandemic, but also a localized mental health epidemic that took the lives of several of my classmates. The year undoubtedly brought a lot of hardship. On a positive note, however, it offered me learning far beyond my academics, as I find myself far more compassionate and empathetic than ever before.

As my academic path solidifies, I am on track to graduate with a double major in Government and Geography and a minor in Hispanic Studies. To supplement my learning this fall, I also received a microcredential from the Matariki Global Citizenship Programme, I participated in the Rockefeller Global Leadership Program, and I moved residences to La Casa LLC (a Spanish-speaking housing community celebrating Hispanic cultural heritage). I also became a sister of Sigma Delta sorority, Dartmouth’s oldest local sorority. Between these many activities–and stimulating in-person coursework–I found community at my school. I am more excited than ever to return to Hanover, New Hampshire for the coming winter, where I plan to ski, play hockey, and work in my free time. I also look forward to an exciting spring term, where I plan to study abroad in Buenos Aires before returning to campus for a fun-filled sophomore summer term!

MVYouth’s investment in me, my peers, and my island has continued to offer me inspiration amid all of life’s chaos. My freshman year taught me a great deal about gratitude and selflessness, and my appreciation for MVYouth only deepens with time. Thank you. Enjoy the new year and stay healthy!

Spencer Pogue - Columbia University

So far, my sophomore year at Columbia has been a challenging but rewarding experience, and has enabled me to hone in on my interests and readjust to in-person learning. This was my first semester living on campus, so a lot of the challenges of this school year have been related to switching from the routine of a remote, Zoom-based education, to navigating a new campus environment.

I won’t be able to declare my course of study until the spring semester, but I am planning on majoring in Biological Sciences and potentially doing a concentration in Public Health. I am still taking the required courses to apply for medical school, but I have been trying to explore different career paths in the life sciences industries like biotechnology research and development, public health policy, and healthcare consulting.

My classes this semester have included the intro-level biology, statistics, and physics courses, as well as Contemporary Civilizations, a required philosophy class that includes philosophical works by Descartes, Machiavelli, and Aristotle, and many others. My STEM courses have been difficult, but I have a great group of friends in my major to study with, so it makes the long hours in the library more enjoyable. I am also taking classical piano lessons right now as well, and will be performing Schumann’s Piano Sonata No. 2 in a recital at the end of this week. My next semester will consist of many of the same courses, except I will be adding on Hispanic Cultures, which will allow me to continue practicing my spanish-speaking skills for when I (hopefully) study abroad next school year.

Outside of class, I have continued my involvement as an Associate Editor of Columbia’s Journal of Global Health, and am currently reviewing submissions for our fall semester issue. In addition, I have begun working in the Biomaterials and Interface Tissue Engineering Laboratory in the Biomedical Engineering Department, and have been learning how to culture stem cells, do immunohistochemistry staining, and use MATLAB software for image processing.

I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the rest of the school year, and I would like to thank MVYouth for giving me the opportunity to attend Columbia University, because attending college in New York City has provided me with innumerable academic, professional, and social opportunities that wouldn’t have otherwise been possible.