My Experience at Penn:
I'm interested in the power of storytelling and hope to use it in my career in whatever form it may take. Through taking academic courses like Urban Journalism (URBS252) and Magazine Journalism (ENGL128), I was able to get an insider's understanding of what it takes to make it in that field. Not only that but by participating in school publications like the DP, I was able to put into practice some of the things I learned in class. Furthermore, by experimenting with film-making - something I have never considered before - I was able to explore new modes of documenting and storytelling. After having done two years and a half back home, the fresh environment at Penn provided a new platform to experiment and engage in both academic and nonacademic settings.
Highlights:
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Living in the States for the first time
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Living on-campus housing for the first time
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Joining publications like DP, the Walk, and the Signal
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Student Groups: Producing a documentary about a Syrian refugee woman and her pickle stand at Reading Terminal Market with Penn Filmaid (student group); Being a part of the Signal (a student club at Penn) and hosting an exchange student panel at the end of the year in collaboration with Penn Abroad
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Unique/interesting classes like Virtual Reality Lab (CIMS210), Psychology of Personal Growth (GSWS344), and Documentary Experiments in Urban Research (ANTH344); Taking two journalism classes within the course of the year and getting to talk to journalists working at VOGUE, NPR, Washington Post, and the Philly Inquirer when they visited our lectures
- Having the freedom to explore new places and travel around with friends. I went to NYC on Fridays when I didn't have classes since it's a two-hour bus ride from Philly. I traveled to Montreal over Thanksgiving break, the West Coast and Chicago during Winter Break and D.C. during Spring break
