Another Reflection

So yesterday marks one year to the day since I graduated from Cornell. It was a time of pure excitement combined with a sense of major accomplishment and pride. I had finished my intended program on time, graduating with Latin Honors in Biological Sciences and a minor in a Biomedical Engineering. I had written an honors thesis, participated in a circuit-winning musical ensemble, and made some of the best friends I could've asked for in my four years at school. And one year later, what does that mean to me ...

Well, to start, I have a job, which I love - great experience, people, and the pay isn't bad either. That's a big plus, especially when the economy's not doing so well. I don't have to worry about finances all that much with a steady income, and I'm even able to pay back my school loans on my own AND live outside of my parents house. I could be saving money by living at home, but after four years of independence, I can't go back. That's just the way it is.

And speaking of independence, that's something I've gained which can't be assigned a value. Priceless. I've grown incredibly as a person, at least in my own eyes, during my time at Cornell. I entered a shy, insecure individual and came out with a stronger identity and sense of confidence that I think is evident in my day to day activities and my relationships - family and friends.

And without family and friends, I wouldn't be able to stand here today facing the world's challenges one day at a time. I was always close with my family, but the distance made a net increase over the four years, especially with my brother and sister. My brother and I used to fight a lot ... and I mean A LOT, over the silliest things. In all honesty, he was extremely immature and demanding, while I was non-confrontational and let myself get trampled on. Though it went unsaid for a while, we both missed each other to a ridiculous extent when we both went off to different universities. There were 4 sets of twins in our HS graduating class. Two pairs, identical, went to the same college. The other two sets, both fraternal (my brother and me included), went to separate schools. Though it was a rough adjustment, I don't think it could've worked better. I recall the day during our sophomore year when my brother called me up to apologize for the behavior during the past couple of years and asked that we start over. I couldn't have been happier to oblige, and we've been so much closer ever since.

Being away also helped me get closer to my sister, just because she grew up, and continues to do so, without my noticing it. I've tracked her maturity level rising in chunks, having watched her develop into a young lady every few months that I would visit home. It still shocks me to see her as she is today, and I couldn't be prouder. She's making gigantic strides, like her older brothers, in academia and in her own extracurricular activities. I have no doubt that success is in her future, whatever she decides to do.

And though my family has been there to support me, my friends have had a more active role in allowing me to discover who I really am throughout my four years at Cornell. I'm glad I decided not to transfer during the troublesome second-year drama that brought me down to a low I never wish to experience ever again. Sticking things out with a ray of optimism has proven hopeless before, but in this case, I know I made the right decision. My friends have allowed me to sort out a lot of my priorities, confusion, and ideas I had regarding life and everything that comes with it, from questions of selfishness to reconciling my quarrel between religion, faith, and science. They mean the world to me, and they're something I could never replace outside of Cornell - I'm sure of it.

And here I am, ready to embark on my next big journey at Stony Brook School of Medicine in August of this year. Though my friends or family won't be there with me directly, all I've learned from them will be. And the Big Red spirit I've come to love (and hate) will come with me as well. So one year after graduating, I look back at the four years that have taught me so much, possibly more than I ever wanted to know. But knowing all that I do, I find myself more than capable of succeeding in whatever I choose to do in life.

Thank you Cornell for everything you had to offer, that which I wanted, and that which I didn't, and for all the relationships that have shaped my life.