Why NYU?
"Next stop Astor Place" said the raspy barely audible voice over the loud speaker.I looked around and smiled at the sight of an old Russian man playing polka music on his accordian, korean tourists straining their eyes over a subway map and a pair of hipsters swapping obscure indie music in the corner. The environment outside of the train station wasn't much different. I was being slapped in the face by a myriad of cultures and I loved it.
It was my third college tour and I had grown to expect the same thing each time. But as my eight grade class and I waited for our tour guide I saw something new. An African American female would be leading us through the NYU campus. She did not speak much differently than the two other guides I had encountered. She was young and excited just as the others. But, she looked like me. That day I decided that NYU was the right school for me.
In addition to the diversity on campus, NYU provides an opportunity for global study. I am most interested in the Stern International Business Exchange partnerships; I would love to spend a semester in Shanghai or London. My mom and I could never afford trips abroad but I've always dreamed of immersing myself in new worlds and putting my language skills to use. The program provides both intellectual and cultural enrichment. Building both character and worldly knowledge. NYU is more than just a great school; it's the perfect place for me to grow and develop as an individual. To become a key player in tomorrows future.
What intrigues you? Tell us about one work of art, scientific achievement, piece of literature, method of communication, or place in the world (a film, book, performance, website, event, location, etc.), and explain its significance to you.
Since the eighth grade my weekday afternoons have consisted of three things: Peppermint tea, a macadamia nut cookie, and Wolf Blitzer. I have a love for politics. But that love was often hidden from my peers. I didn't have an outlet where I could express my opinion on the Health Care Bill or the elevation of drone use for instance. I looked forward to college because I knew it would be a place where I could share my passions. The summer of my sophomore year I read Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States. I had never questioned America's heroism before then. We were the good guys, always. We liberated the oppressed, fed the poor and spread democracy throughout the world. At least that's what I had been taught. Zinn's book encouraged me to begin taking a more analytical look into American History and ultimately fostered my interests in US politics. As I learned about instances of American greed, and lack of respect for world nations, I wanted to be among those who would improve America's "International face" . Amoung those who would mold the US into a respected nation instead of one despised by so many around the world. If America was to take a more responsible approach to world affairs it would have to start with a transformation of its political center and that's what I wanted to be a part of.
