My favorite faculty lecture was “Robots that Teach” by Professor Brian Scassellati. It was a really interesting topic, and the way the professor explained it, using multiple examples, and showing us videos and photos made the class very easy to understand and stay focused.
One of the highlights I had at YYGS was the seminar about Taylor Swift’s albums. During the seminar sessions, we listened to and analyzed songs in the albums as well as the background context of each of the songs. We would go through every single line of the lyrics and analyze different aspects of the lyrics like the point of view, plays on words, and repetition. The group discussions and activities provided me with new insight into the meanings and messages musicians incorporate into their music and lyrics.
It was a nice combination for me as a science student to have a long research journey in another field like human rights and LGBTQ communities. YYGS, for me, was a good experience I went through.
I enjoyed the readings and found that I was able to delve into global problems and discuss them in a new light. I liked that there were so many diverse participants from multiple countries who provided such unique perspectives. Some I agreed with and some I didn’t–and I liked this. It challenged my thinking.
Brazilian Literature, Art and Music captivated my heart. Professor Jackson talked about his definition of “realism” along with an analysis of “A Canary’s Ideas.” From Carlos Drummond de Andrade to Manuel Bandeira, and Murilo Mendes, I have explored modernism in Brazilian culture.
I feel that upon YYGS, I have been more confident to explore areas that I am not knowledgeable about as I successfully pursued the PLE track during YYGS while I am academically oriented towards STEM. I am also grateful to this opportunity that prepared me to integrate in my new school as I have become so comfortable to interact with diverse people in multicultural environments.
During the program, I met with many different people who have unique perspectives from all over the world, and I had the opportunity to chat and even discuss with them. Thanks to Family Times, I was able to get to know my peers from different cultures better and I was able to reach a very broad vision by adding their thoughts to my own thoughts.
Only after realizing how our voice can be mightier than sword, did I decide to speak up about the struggles in the world. In our simulation group, I spoke up for the underprivileged children in China who didn’t have access to textbooks or remote learning. With the help of global peers, we established a network in rural China to share resources during Covid lockdowns and reached out to multiple schools. This made me believe how our words and actions can make a world of difference.
My favorite lecture was an economics lecture regarding international finance and how trade is funded. It analyzed foreign exchange transactions and their relations with an open economy, GDP market value of all final goods and services produced by a country, and different countries’ respective trade surplus or deficits. All of this helped me study financial stability and financial crises in emerging economies, like the one in Colombia where I come from.
The program created an environment where every student possessed an entirely unique background. I was able to make a lifelong friend through discussing the NBA finals with a student from Nigeria, while also reflecting on the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine with a student from Russia, getting to learn about how the war was affecting her and her family. During our Family Time hour we spent together each day, I made lasting friendships from around the globe.
