Having grown up with a father in the financial industry, I had known I wanted to go into a career in finance from a very young age. I knew going into my freshman year that I wanted to be an Economics major, but I realized through my journey at Lafayette how a well-rounded education would help me to grow personally and professionally.
Immersing myself across various disciplines, truly anything that interested me, had an immeasurable impact on my growth as a person. Lafayette College showed that to me every day for four years.
This type of education was never more apparent than on my first day of class, when I walked into Art History 101 with Professor Sinkević.
I had never taken an Art History class before, but upon browsing through my recently purchased textbook the day before classes started, it looked pretty interesting. Little did I know that this would be the start of a journey to three different countries studying the subject and an Art History minor.
Now, almost four years after my first semester of college, most of the details have been lost. What I do remember, however, was Professor Sinkevic's passion.
This passion had a profound impact on me throughout my next four years. After taking Art History 101, I immersed myself in other courses like Ancient Art, Byzantine Art, and Architecture. I took an interim trip to Germany and Italy my junior year to study the history and art of the Roman Empire, an experience I will remember for the rest of my life. I have Professor Sinkević to thank for helping me discover a passion I never knew I had before coming to college.
I realized during my time here how many of my professors were not just interested, but passionate about the subjects they were teaching. That interest and excitement is extremely contagious.
In high school, I had always been a hard worker, but I remember always being so excited when I had a doctor's appointment, went on a family vacation, or somehow got to miss a half day of school for any reason. I never thought I would admit this, but somehow that has not been the case for me at Lafayette.
Call me nerdy, but hearing a professor speak so passionately for 50 minutes about a subject you are interested in is actually pretty amazing. As a senior, I now realize how much of an honor it was to be influenced by such highly-accomplished professors.
Last May, Lafayette gave me the opportunity to take a trip that had a profound impact on my life. I decided to take a course on the history, art, and culture of Russia. However, this wasn't just any typical class.
A generous donor provided us with a chance to travel to Saint Petersburg, Russia for a week after the last week of classes to experience what we had been studying all semester. That was one of the greatest weeks of my life. I learned more about the culture in one week than I could have ever imagined.
The trip had been planned during the height of the tensions between the United States and Russia over the annexation of Crimea. As someone who does not enjoy stepping out of my comfort zone, you can imagine the discomfort I felt while deciding on whether or not I wanted to go. With the encouragement of my professors and my parents, I decided to take a leap of faith.
On my way over, I had imagined that we would not be welcomed in Russia as Americans. But immediately upon my arrival, I realized how mistaken I was. The city itself, the culture, the history and its people provided me with one of the most memorable trips of my life.
Lesson learned: Don't ever, ever, judge a book by its cover. Experiences like this define us, and only places like Lafayette offer such life-changing opportunities.
Another great honor I had during my four years was representing the school as the captain and number one singles player on the tennis team.
It has been a privilege not only playing for a team that has vastly contributed to my growth as a human being, but also for an institution whose core values are ones in which I strive to replicate for the rest of my life. I cannot thank the Lafayette tennis program enough for giving me the opportunity to travel to and compete on some of the most elite, beautiful college campuses in the country.
Most of all, being part of a Division I sports team taught me the importance of balancing leadership with teamwork.
When looking back, I can remember two specific matches that stick out in my head. My freshman year I had a huge victory against Bucknell, and in our last home match ever my senior year, I had a great win against Villanova.
It was instances such as these that made all the extra practices, all the long road trips, all the extra time management to balance academics and athletics, worthwhile. These victories were meaningful on a personal level, but it meant much more to me that I was getting a victory for my team and for my school.
I was tested many times over the course of my career, but participating at a Division I level has been one of the most rewarding and worthwhile commitments of my life.
