Steven Luna

Working on my community service project with my group has been a wonderful experience. Preparing for this project not only forced me to sit down and work with people that I didn’t know, but it also forced me to seek out resources that I hadn’t been accustomed to using. I’m grateful for having been placed in the group that I’m in. In essence, we’re all different people who come from different backgrounds, but we managed to come together to work cohesively towards choosing an organization that we all shared a common interest in.

Some times we spend so much time planning and striving for things to be perfect, that we create this illusion that nothing can go wrong. When the unthinkable happens, and something actually does end up going wrong, we usually find ourselves in disarray. Though my group and I were accepted to intern for the NYC Audubon, we weren’t provided with specific detailed information as to what our roles would be as their interns. This served as a problem because we needed specific information for our Community Service Project presentation. Words cannot explain how helpful John has been in helping us get over this hurdle. John has been a very important resource. He was in our very same shoes just a year ago. It’s nice to have someone who we can relate with, and who can tell us directly what is expected from us.

After John, the library is perhaps the biggest resource that I’ve personally used to work on this Community Service Project, and also to do work for other classes. So far, in the three months that I’ve been at Baruch, I’ve gone and used the library more times than I’ve ever done before. The study rooms are amazing and provide us with a quite environment to get work done. The librarians are extremely helpful, and actually helped jump-start our projects by giving us the search engine, which we used to find the NYC Audub3on not-for-profit organization.

Seeking out a faculty member’s help, and using the library is key for my future success at Baruch. Mr. Medina made it clear that the first step towards gaining clarity or solving a problem in a given class is to talk to the teacher about it. I’ve met every single one of my professors’, and expressed concerns to every one of them, and I can honestly say that their feedback has helped me achieve success in their classes. When I went into the Newman Library for the first time, I figured it going play a huge role in my success at Baruch. The environment, and all the information in the library have thus far proven to be beneficial to me.

Community service was something that I used to do because I was told that all well-rounded students did it. Though I never was opposed to serving my community, it was something that I did systematically. Having had the autonomy to practically develop this project on my own allowed me to develop a certain appreciation and understanding for why it is that we serve our community. I feel that it is our duty to give back to the community in ways that affect it in a positive manner.

So I’m two months and a few days into my first semester of college. By the looks of it, there only seems to be six weeks of school left. In retrospect thus far, I can’t help but to freeze and feel awe at how quickly time has gone by. It seems like only yesterday I was asking people for directions on how to get to my classes. Now believe it or not, I’m the one who’s giving people directions on how to make their way around Baruch.

Everyone needs to feel wanted, and needs to feel as if they are a part of something. I think that this very notion applies to college freshmen. For some, college is an opportunity to start a completely new life. For me, college is going to be an opportunity to add to the foundations and principles that have shaped me thus far in my life. One of the things I pride myself in is being social. I enjoy meeting new people, and developing relationships. I feel that Baruch College is going to give me an opportunity to do these things, because it is such a diverse place, full of clubs and organizations that seemingly welcome everyone with open arms.

I personally have not had the chance to explore and join any of these clubs, because honestly speaking, I’m still adapting myself to college, and feel as though I need to do the best I can in all my classes. I know I don’t exemplify the ideal student who manages their schoolwork, and plays an active role in the Baruch community, but I’m very aware that it is my duty and responsibility as a Baruch Scholar to get involved. I remember John telling us that the leaders of many of the clubs on campus are Honor students. This alone tells me that the culture of service the Honors Program promotes is one that encourages students to not only get involved in their school community, but to also take on leadership roles in their fields. Everything takes time, and I’m still experiencing a learning curve. There is no doubt in my mind that as I continue to adapt myself to college, I’ll grow into taking more active roles in the Baruch community.

I have the pleasure and honor of saying that I am surrounded by great people who keep me focused. My family and friends are a big part of the reason I am who I am today. To me, family is one of the most important things in life. My mother, and father have done a great job throughout the years to raise me to be the best man I can be. I understand that everything I do is a representation of them, and because of this I try to lead a positive life.  This is not to say that I am a saint, and I have no flaws. On the contrary, I am human and can sometimes forget the meaning of the word responsibilities. But as my good friend tells me, I’m still young and have plenty of time to make mistakes, so long as I learn from them.

In high school I met a great number of people that I consider to be life long friends. My formal principle and English teacher have taught me lessons that I apply beyond classroom settings. They made it clear to me that my success is going to be a testament of hard work and my determination. In high school, I also met a group of seven young men who I consider to be brothers. Blood couldn’t make us any closer. We all are determined to be successful in life, and have made a pact to help each along the way. They are there for me throughout my highs and lows. I truly am blessed to have them.

In this chapter of my life I hope to further find out who I am as a person, and what I am capable of doing. During my first freshman seminar class in college my professor, Mr. Medina said, “you have to fail in order to succeed.” I don’t want the day to come where I’m having difficulties pulling my weight in a certain class, but realistically speaking I know it will. When it does, I’ll be more than ready to overcome that obstacle. This first semester I hope to adapt myself to college. I’m a procrastinator at heart, and I know that I have to get rid of this habit if I so wish to succeed in this highly competitive environment.