For some more nostalgia, here’s a picture of the trees by Pem West from my very first week on campus in 2018…

I am now beginning my final semester of college, which is such a bizarre and surreal thing to be able to say. So much has happened in my time at Bryn Mawr so far. Obviously, I never could have predicted the pandemic when I entered Bryn Mawr in the fall of 2018, but I also couldn’t have anticipated what exact personal challenges and accomplishments I have had. It’s been a crazy, tiring, rewarding, disappointing, and wonderful three and a half years. So I am of course reflecting on all that has happened, especially as I watch my underclass friends go through the milestones I encountered not so long ago. Probably the most interesting of these has been watching the sophomores declare their majors.

I came to college with a pretty solid idea of the major I wanted to pursue, yet have sometimes still felt a little weird at Bryn Mawr because I did not start looking at any colleges like it until my junior year of high school. Sometimes I feel like many of my peers have always been brilliant and have had things figured out for a long time. For my freshman and sophomore years of high school I had no clue what I wanted to do with myself. I was heavily involved in music but did not seriously want to pursue it. I thought about it because it was the only readily available option, but did not really want it. During my junior year I took AP Government to fulfill the third social studies course of my high school’s graduation requirements. I mostly took Advanced Placement rather than honors because so many other students did. I figured I might as well take the same as everyone else. It did not take long for me to become obsessed with it. It was so much fun. I adored my teacher, looked forward to the readings and assignments, and it was the class I missed most when I got mono and could not come to school for four weeks. My junior year was also the year of the 2016 election, so a government class was even more interesting with so much to discuss. When I had mono in January and February of 2017 and could not do anything for a month, I found myself watching the many confirmation hearings and Congressional debates on C-SPAN. I knew what I wanted. I wanted to run for office or work all throughout Washington, DC or jump around campaigns or something. Although I now understand the many different opportunities to work in government and politics and my goals have changed, my love and interest in government remains the same.

It snowed on campus this week! but I somehow did not get any pictures, so enjoy this one from last year’s storm.

By the time I was beginning my first year at Bryn Mawr, I knew I would be a political science major. I also knew I would look for internships with various political offices and social justice and advocacy nonprofits. I am certainly grateful that I started my college years with a relatively solid plan for my major and career interests. In relation to many people I know, I had a more stable decision making process around declaring my major. Many students come to Bryn Mawr with an idea for a major and wind up finding something else they love. It’s the beauty of the liberal arts. Bryn Mawr’s structure requires us to branch out and take things we might not have otherwise, but I know many people who are grateful for that because it introduces them to what they truly want to study.

I do love the snow on campus right now, but it also makes me miss warmer days and cherry blossoms.

Deciding on my minor was more complicated, and they are not even necessary. My minor, as the liberal arts intend, found me more than I found it. Toward the end of my first year, I thought I would double major in economics and political science. During my sophomore year, I planned to minor in economics instead, and by the end of that academic year, I figured out I wanted nothing to do with the subject. Having already taken one philosophy course and searching for a class to fulfill my final college-wide requirement, I became interested in minoring in philosophy following the advice of one of my upperclass teammates. We discussed how useful philosophy would be to improve my reading, writing, and critical thinking skills. It’s also an excellent supplement to political science. After taking a couple more philosophy classes, I have grown to love the art of theory and questioning and critiquing ideas that I encounter. Although I am not really interested in the typical philosophical fields, I know that a philosophy minor will be greatly beneficial in my future. Whether I want to enter public policy, communications, work on campaigns, run for office, or go to graduate school, philosophy will be a great supplement to my knowledge of and skills in politics.

I seem to have found a great time to be in college studying government and politics. Twenty years ago politics and those who paid a lot of attention to it were still seen as over the top. Only the elite involved themselves, and our government showed that. Now, the masses have been engaging themselves and my generation is fighting hard for the social justice issues we care about. I think we can change the trajectory of politics and relations in the U.S. — maybe we won’t see the most clear results for decades, but I think we have the power to change the tide. The hatred, inequality, and inequity in America is deep rooted and institutional. Personally, I think we need intense, radical change to the foundation of our government and country – and soon. Institutionalized problems need institutionalized as well as outside change, and while that may not be wholly possible soon, I believe we have momentum to get us somewhere closer. It is because of this that I am even more thrilled to be a political science major. I found my love for politics during a turbulent year that accentuated the centuries old problems in our country. Now, I am studying how those policies are shaping us as well as what is being done to combat them during a nerve wracking and scary time in the world. This semester I am even interning on a U.S. Senate campaign and learning how all my studying in political science applies in the real world (more on this very soon!). In just a few months, I will be leaving Bryn Mawr and entering a world in desperate need and desire for change. I know I will do everything I can to contribute to that change and use my privilege to help those around me. And that makes me more excited than I know how to express.

Post-Convocation on the Senior Steps!

My final year as a Bryn Mawr student has begun, and as strange of a college career as I have had, I know this one will still be odd. I think there will also be a lot of good. Thanks to over 98% of the Bryn Mawr community being fully vaccinated, many things are returning to a pre-COVID sense of normalcy. We are holding fully in-person classes again and can take our masks off outdoors. We were able to hold Convocation in person on Senior Row and are able to socialize a bit more freely. This has all been exhilarating and makes me really happy, but it is also going to be an adjustment. It is odd to see campus more lively than it has been since 18 months ago and I’m not sure I remember how to wake up on time to put on real clothes and walk to class. Even so, we are here and I’m going to do everything I can to stay safe and have a good senior year.

There is plenty to look forward to this year. From being SGA President, writing my thesis, (finally!!) getting a real season with crew, and participating in a Praxis next semester (stay tuned for posts on that in the spring), there is no shortage of new things I will be involved in this year. There is also no shortage of work. Thankfully, I completed the coursework for my major last semester.

This year I must still thesis and take two more courses for my philosophy minor, but I have the time and opportunity to take courses because I find them interesting and just want to. This semester I am taking a political philosophy course on democratic revolutions, which I am already loving. I really like political theory and it is great to return to it after not taking such a course in the last year. One of the courses I am taking purely out of interest is still a political science course, Democracy, Politics, and the Media, which I want to take because my interest in press relations has increased recently. The other two courses are a sociology course, Making Sense of Race, and a history course, The Atlantic World 1492-1800. I have taken one sociology course and one history course previously in college, so I have some, but very limited experience, with the subjects. I really want to learn more on the topics of these courses. In Making Sense of Race, we’ll be discussing what race means to individuals, communities, and ourselves. The Atlantic World focuses on how the Atlantic World developed through colonization and the movement of people, goods, and ideas between Africa, Europe, and the Americas. This week we are learning about indigenous state systems in the Americas and will continue the course with classes on colonization, European conflicts, and the experiences of enslaved people as well as maroon communities.

Another reason I was interested in these courses is for the professors. I have heard great things from students about the professors for these two courses: Piper Sledge for Making Sense of Race and Ignacio Gallup-Diaz for The Atlantic World. Professor Gallup-Diaz is also an Atlantic World historian specifically, so I know this is the best course to take to learn about the topic. I really appreciate many of the professors at Bryn Mawr and the wide array of courses which are available. I know I won’t be able to take these classes or even find this knowledge elsewhere, so I want to take advantage of it this year.

the Senior Steps get covered in confetti after Parade Night – red for the first years

In addition to being excited for these classes, there is much to look forward to in my year as SGA President and writing my thesis. SGA was the part of Bryn Mawr that really made me love this school. I never imagined I’d serve two terms on the EBoard, but I am thrilled for this opportunity. The EBoard has already begun work for the SGA agenda this year and we also have plenty to do in helping campus adjust to the changing environment. We are holding hybrid meetings, with some people attending in person and others on Zoom. We are thinking about how exactly to hold Plenary so that it doesn’t involve sitting in Goodhart for several hours. We are planning to hold some events which were cancelled last year due to COVID and still looking for ways to keep them safe. Even traditions are returning to in-person events this year. There is a lot for us to think about and do in this strange year, but I am always excited for SGA and all that it entails.

My thesis is taking some more time to figure out, but I have a little while until I need to propose my topic. I never imagined I would be looking forward to my thesis, given that I do not consider myself an academic and it is a daunting task. Somehow, I have wound up excited for it and the chance to really explore policy so deeply. It’s an integral part of being a Bryn Mawr student, so I will be sure to share more information as I plan for it this semester and write in the spring.

While it is so exciting to be returning campus life to some aspects of normalcy, I am cautiously optimistic. As much as we are going back to pre-COVID activities and behaviors, this pandemic is far from over. Being in classrooms with normal capacity levels again is confusing. Going off campus for competitions may be uncomfortable and even with an incredibly high vaccination rate, the Delta variant will still cause cases to appear on campus. Being allowed to socialize with more people after a year and a half of lockdown is somewhat scary and anxiety-inducing. Still, we are figuring things out. I will stay masked and be careful with my interactions to keep myself and those around me safe. The world is still plenty scary and confusing, but I’ll do everything I can to have the best senior year possible. There will be good alongside all the fear and uncertainty and I am looking forward to all that my last year as a Bryn Mawr student will bring.

Winter break is a great time of the year. Typically, we all finish finals and leave campus for a nice month-long break and holidays for the students who celebrate. Many of us see it as the opportunity to relax, eat good food, and spend time with family and high school friends. Many others use the break to participate in the College’s extern program which allows students to spend a few days or a week shadowing an alum in their office to gain insight on different career paths. There are also a lot of students who spend break planning for and beginning their summer internship applications (or thesis prep and job applications for seniors!).

Struffoli is a Christmas Eve tradition. This was my third time making it

This year looked a bit different. I took extensions on some of my finals and continued working a couple days into break. Once I wrapped up all my fall work, the College announced the first day of classes would be pushed back from the already atypical January 29th to the even further away February 12th. I was mostly confused by this – sure extra time to relax, especially in such a stressful year could be nice, but what was I going to do with myself for eight weeks?

I briefly saw some family members outside for Christmas and I was able to spend plenty of time catching up with my sisters. But other than that, this break was nothing like how I thought my junior year winter would be. Being an upperclassman now, I would have had more opportunities for externships and was really looking forward to participating. I also probably would have planned a trip to see my sister in Florida and have seen my friends. Instead, I conducted informational interviews with three alums, attended a career seminar, began internship applications, reminded myself how to crochet, and lost count of how much anime I watched.

At the beginning of January, I participated in a series of workshops at the Women in Public Policy Seminar hosted by the Public Leadership Education Network (PLEN). I was able to attend thanks to the Career and Civic Engagement Center, which paid the registration fee for myself and a few other Bryn Mawr students. Each day was filled with workshops on a variety of public policy career information as well as general professional skillbuilding. We heard from many speakers – advocates, lobbyists, political staffers, interest group staffers, and even a life coach. Many of these speakers told us about their experiences working in politics and policy but they also gave us plenty of lessons on networking and professionalism. They introduced us to the basics of informational interviewing, how to interact in the political realm, and how to put in every effort to be noticed when applying for jobs or internships. I filled multiple pages with notes and as I’ve been working on my internship applications have frequently remembered what I learned during this seminar.

My first real crochet project was this hat! I plan on improving my skills this semester as a de-stressor.

In lieu of the winter break externship program, Career and Civic Engagement matched students with alums who volunteered to be interviewed by us. I was matched with three alums and asked about their experiences in government agencies, departments, campaigns, and interest groups. These interviews not only gave me more information on possible careers, but also introduced me to professional etiquette. Reaching out to the alums, conducting the interviews, and thanking them later for speaking with me were all new practices I had to learn (and was able to use some of the information from the PLEN seminar!). Career and Civic Engagement also prepared a networking guide for all students that participated in these interviews so we could understand what to do through the whole process. They gave us example questions to ask in informational interviews, sample emails for requesting an interview and thanking the person after, and much more. The alums I spoke with were, as usual, incredibly kind and helpful. They willingly shared not only information on their careers but tons of advice on how I could explore different careers, where I could intern for the summer, and answered my questions about grad school. Bryn Mawr alums are definitely one of the best parts of a Bryn Mawr education – we have access to a wonderful network of people that are always eager to help!

I’m going to say that I was working hard in this picture my mom randomly took, definitely not procrastinating on pinterest.

Now that we are well into February, I will be submitting my internship applications very soon. I am probably going to be applying to around a dozen internships for the summer. To get organized as I began my search, I created a spreadsheet of every place I am applying, the specific positions, the requirements, and due dates. This is my third year of internship applications, but it is still such an intense process! Every position has incredibly varying requirements so it is difficult to keep track of them all. The only thing you can be sure of while applying is that everyone wants your resume and a cover letter. Cover letters are definitely the most difficult part. I have always had trouble keeping them focused and to discuss my most relevant skills. Once again, the Career and Civic Engagement Center will be coming to my rescue. Over the next few weeks you will definitely be able to find me working with them constantly as I write and revise my many letters.

My road is nice and quiet, so I can take walks to see the nearby ponds and fields.

I must say, despite how much time I had to both relax and work during our abnormally long break, It does feel good to be back in classes. I have another tough semester coming up, but it is reassuring that I was able to do some really great things during winter break.

Drinking some tea on our extra desk turned tea station turned chair.

It’s the start of my third year at Bryn Mawr. I am thinking about some typical junior year things (what classes should I take to prep for my thesis? where do I want to intern next summer? are upperclassman schedules always this nice?) but I am also thinking about a million other things. As much as I believe Bryn Mawr has done a better job thinking about bringing us back to campus than other colleges, I am still incredibly worried for mine and my peers’ safety. As a member of the SGA EBoard, I have taken on a great amount of responsibility to hold both admin and my peers accountable so we can all remain safe. I should only be worrying about courses, internships, if I brought enough layers, my May Day outfit (no it is not too early), and when the orange poppy loaf will be available for breakfast. Instead, due to our government’s inability to govern, we are still in a nasty pandemic and Black communities around the country are still protesting and organizing for basic justice. We are all being forced to adapt, even though we should not bear this weight.

This semester, I have quite a few commitments. Outside of my full courseload, I am continuing my NSC internship from the summer every other Friday, participating in the Tri-Co Philly Program, serving as SGA Co-Treasurer, working for College communications, and continuing with crew. I like to be busy, but it is still a lot to do. Needless to say, my time management needs to be outstanding this semester.

I have set app timers on my phone to limit my time on social media and will be keeping my desk spotless so I can always sit down to work without distractions (speaking this one into existence, I have always had an issue with clutter). Each weekend when I start my schoolwork for the coming week, I check Moodle and my syllabi for what needs to be done when. Then, I write it all out in my notebook and cross each assignment off as I complete them throughout the week. It helps to make sure I don’t miss anything and is of course much easier than checking every syllabus each time I go to do work. It’s also much easier for my brain to understand than a usual planner or calendar is – I like to have all of the information centralized onto a couple lines. My whole days are kept track of on my Google calendar with reminders set so I always know when something is coming. I also keep sticky notes above my desk with all of my class and meeting times as well as professors’ office hours. This way, it is always right in front of me, I don’t have to pick up my phone or open a new tab to look at my calendar. This summer, I also fully thought through my schedule and how I can schedule my whole days out to include workouts and meals around my classes, meetings, and practice. While it is important for me to have structure, I am also going to keep in mind that I do not always have to follow this schedule 100%. It may become too much for me at times to follow something so strict, and that’s okay, as long as I don’t make a habit of switching things up and let it get out of hand. So far, I feel okay about my ability to manage my time and work, but we are only going into the third week and I know that once the semester starts to pick up, I will feel overwhelmed. It is important to get into this routine now so I don’t feel like I’m drowning in a month.

I used Canva to create a schedule to post in mine and my roommate’s shared room.

My desk setup for this year ready for class (you may have seen this on the BMC Instagram as well!)

The mixed teaching format has also been weird. Two of my classes are fully remote, one is hybrid so we have the option to attend in person or via Zoom, and the fourth is fully in person but we can attend on zoom if needed. I have definitely grown used to Zoom classes, but they still are not ideal. They are especially difficult with a roommate and classes happening outside on Rhoads Beach. But of course, we are adjusting. My roommate and I printed out our schedules and put them up in our shared middle room so we know when the other is busy. While I cannot get rid of classes outside my room, my professors have been understanding that we may not always be in a quiet environment, and some of them even prefer students keep our mics off so there is some background noise on the call. And now, going to in person classes feels plenty strange as well. It is great to be in a classroom again, wearing a mask is no problem, and being spread out is even pretty nice at times. But being back in a physical classroom is not enough of normalcy when you can’t drink water and you are wiping your desk down before leaving.

I am worried that for the rest of time at Bryn Mawr I may not have a similar experience to my first two years. We all miss spontaneous Saturdays off campus, walking around Carpenter for five minutes until you find an open seat, and late nights in the Campus Center when the whole place is buzzing. Despite the pandemic, being here even with restrictions is better than not being here. I am still grateful to be here, in many ways Bryn Mawr is still Bryn Mawr. There are geese and loud planes flying overhead, Dining Services has new things to offer us like they do each year, and we are back on campus.

The sunset over Rhoads Beach, right outside my room in Rhoads South.

Bryn Mawr is home for all of us. Admin, faculty, staff, and students all need to work carefully to keep us safe. It will not be very easy, but it will be better than getting each other sick and having to shut down as so many other schools have been forced to do. And to be quarantined at Bryn Mawr as fall settles in and we can see our friends, is worth some masks and six feet.

Arch Street from the deck of my Philly sublet.

Covid-19 may still continue, but so does life in its new reality. During their college years, many students pursue internships, especially during their summer breaks. It’s a chance to delve into your interests, gain work experience, figure out what you really love (or really don’t), live on your own, explore a new city, and so much more. Many see it as a formative part of not just their college years, but their education and life as a whole, particularly when an internship launches your career. Last summer I was unable to intern anywhere, so for months I researched places to intern and wrote cover letters. Then of course in March, primetime for internship applications, the pandemic hit the United States. I had already applied to a few and watched as they were cancelled. To be incredibly inconvenient, the internship I had wanted for a long time did not cancel until May 1! Luckily, I had found another that I really loved and had already committed to it.

Although I knew from the time it was offered to me I would be interning online, I was very excited. Nervous sure, especially because it would be online, but I already did not know what to expect from an internship, so how strange could it actually be? I am interning on the Employment Team at Nationalities Service Center, a refugee resettlement agency in Philadelphia. There are many programs at NSC serving about 5,000 people each year. The Employment Team works with clients seeking work as they settle in Philadelphia. We partner with many businesses in the city, help our clients with applications, interview skills, navigating SEPTA, offer ESL classes, and job coaching for clients that want to take classes and work toward career credentials. I love this nearly century old organization even though I did not know of its existence until February (I learned about NSC through a social justice & advocacy career fair held by Career and Civic Engagement! Which I also covered for the Bryn Mawr College Instagram story). I am thrilled about the work I am doing and the people I am working with. I admire our incredibly kind and strong clients. To make it even better, my supervisor is a Bryn Mawr alum! Mawrters really can find each other everywhere. Working with an alum has allowed my internship to teach me about the Bryn Mawr community in addition to what I am learning directly through my work.

I have been interning for about a month and a half now and I have already grown and learned a great amount. Through my position on the Employment Team I work directly with our Job Developers, who are responsible for establishing partnerships with employers, preparing clients for US work culture, referring clients to specific jobs, aiding them through paperwork and their onboarding process, and much more. As an intern I conduct research to find employers to partner with, reach out to those potential employers, track client job retention, and regularly call clients to check in on their needs and schedule meetings. At the start of my internship I was uncomfortable making so many cold phone calls and did not understand how to research possible jobs for our clients. I did not understand what kind of questions to ask to get every detail on a situation, how to converse with a business’s recruiter or manager, or how to carefully note every interaction with a client. Now, I am easily working with interpreters and clients over the phone and communicating with possible employers for my team to partner with. My computer is filled with spreadsheets and notes about my conversations with clients (I would show how I organize all of my work, but all information is confidential). I have loved all of the work I have been doing and the team I have been working with, and fairly early in my internship I began to feel like an actual working part of the team because of that.

I am learning more about policy and immigration in the US, non-profit structure and work, and how to exist in the professional world than I thought possible in such a short time. A hands-on experience like an internship shows you the smallest details that you never thought about before – like how at nine months after their arrival an immigrant should begin preparing to apply for their green card, that Erie, PA accepts the most refugees in Pennsylvania, or the many specific programs and routes through which refugees can enter the US and receive services. As a political science major this internship is already benefiting my holistic education and knowledge of policy and affairs. As a person, I am understanding the world around me more than ever before and gaining life skills which I will need as I start my career after graduation.

My work setup at the kitchen table – from left to right: mug of green tea, water bottle, laptop, notebook, pen, and pencil case.

Interning remotely is as strange as Zoom classes were. It is unfamiliar territory, but we are adapting and learning what we are capable of. I am thankful that my internship can be carried out quite well online. We cannot meet with clients in person as we would with most interactions, but we can still call them and my research projects would be online anyway. I am truly impressed with how well my team has been at training myself and the other interns online. It was intimidating at first because following brand new directions and processes on a video call is difficult, but we have figured out how to communicate and everything has gone well.

It definitely does feel more distant than an internship should. There are not spontaneous conversations or meals together, bonding over office tasks or sharing interesting things we come across while working. I wish that I could be including stories about running around the office or pictures of myself and my fellow interns together, but my work has made sitting at my kitchen table plenty exciting. Every time I work closely with someone on my team I learn something new about them and our work. Everyone has great stories to tell and I still feel connected to the people I work with. It isn’t how it normally would be, but it is still good, and I am happy to be spending my summer this way. I am learning a lot about my interests, people, and how the world reacts to crises. I am learning about Philadelphia, a city I love greatly. I am learning about government programs, bureaucracy, and federal law. These are all things I really love and want to surround myself with in my career for the rest of my life. Although I may not want to pursue refugee and asylum policy specifically, I care about it and know that it is an important aspect of American politics. Students should use internships to learn about the various branches of their area of study. There are now many pathways for every major, but internships can help us narrow down our interests and discover our strengths.

Pems from February because I just miss campus that much.

I am extremely grateful to be able to have an internship this summer. Many internships were cancelled and many students are unable to intern online with  or due to lack of access to a computer or the Internet. This pandemic has accentuated the divides in our country and I am privileged to have an internship right now. I wish that all of my peers could be having a fun summer working somewhere they love. If you are interning this summer, I hope you are being safe and enjoying your work in whatever form it is taking right now. If you do not have an internship, for whatever reason, I hope that you can use your abundance of free time for yourself. Find work if you can or volunteer, read all those books that are sitting around or start watching that unnecessarily long tv show you have put off in favor of work or studying. Keep in my mind that the whole world is upside down right now, it is okay to feel confused and stressed. Take care of yourself and prepare for what comes next; we will be back on campus before we know it.

Learn more about Nationalities Service Center: https://nscphila.org/