Saturday, January 19, 2013

From ILC Alum Cynthia Fong


Hey everybody!

It's been two and a half years since I've graduated and it's very difficult to put into words the transformation that has happened. Since freshmen year, I've been challenged to all types of limits (socially, academically, emotionally, etc.). But this past semester, I would say, has been the most rewarding.

The first 4 semesters of college, I took it upon myself to "get the most" out of my education. Please don't get me wrong: DO get the most out of your education! But I was going about it the wrong way, substituting quality for quantity. I was overcommitted in extracurriculars, overcommitted in school and trying to have something of a social life at the same time.

This past semester, I took a lighter course load and I cut back on the extracurriculars. This semester was about learning how to find a good balance, learning how to rest, and learning to love learning. I was running on ambition instead of passion, but this semester, I realized that I do love learning and I do love contributing to some academic field.

I've officially declared a double concentration (or major) and I am rethinking a premed track. Public health and ethnic studies go hand in hand with my interests in structural determinants of health inequalities, specifically internationally. This semester, I took three classes: Survey Methods in Healthcare Research, Global Burden of Disease,  and Introduction to Ethnic Studies. I made a real connection with one of the public health professors and we're going to be working on some research together. I'm also researching grad school and fellowships.

It's been an amazing semester and I'm ready to get back into the grind. Though my course load will be back to normal, I'll be taking the lessons I've learned into this semester. I'm looking forward to the learning and the new experiences! If anybody is interested in anything at Brown University, or would just like to chat about colleges, please feel free to reach out!

Best,
Cynthia Fong
Class of 2014

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