A Bittersweet Senior’s Formative Moments at NYU

During my first semester, I applied to and got admitted into the Admissions Ambassador program. At the time, I looked forward to giving campus tours and making some money. But this experience has given me so much more. More than 250 tours later, I have met people from all over the world and worked my way up to a leadership position. The program has also introduced me to some of my closest people. In April 2022 I worked my first admitted-students event and was scheduled with Anjana, who is now one of my best friends. A month later I met fellow ambassador Alexis, who I later lived with when I studied away—and who is my roommate to this day! “Ambassa-bonds” are real, and I am appreciative an on-campus job has brought me so much good.

After applying to NYU Steinhardt’s Dean’s Global Honors Seminars, I was placed in a class called Biodiversity and the Earth System in fall of 2022. Although I am not a science person, I really enjoyed the course. Professor Catherine Milne is the best; she made a subject I find intimidating quite inviting. The following January I went on a trip with my class to NYU London and England’s Jurassic Coast. We embarked on a fossil-hunting mission and found ammonites along a beach in Lyme Regis. I also met my very good friend Aidan on this trip! Since then, we have traveled to many cool places together.

Studying away at NYU Florence was totally transformative. I went right after my January Term trip for the spring 2023 semester and loved every second of it. Living in S4, an NYU residence hall, made it easy for me to find community. Plus, it was the perfect distance from both the city center and the campus. NYU Florence’s campus is unmatched. It is a 37-acre estate with a 15th-century villa and museum. Every time I went to class, I couldn’t believe it was real life. My favorite class was Renaissance Art with Professor Silvia Giorgi. She took us to a different museum or church each week, where we learned about artists while looking at their paintings and sculptures. I looked forward to it every week.

In the spring of 2024, I completed my dream internship at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in their communications department. It was my first time exploring public relations and an interesting mix of media tracking and press material organization. The Met is a special place to me; I hope to find my way back there professionally in the future.

Presently, I am working as an entertainment late night and specials PR intern at NBCU. Having a desk in 30 Rock is surreal. I went to many free tapings of Saturday Night Live (SNL), Late Night, and The Tonight Show my first year at NYU. So, it is beyond cool to get a glimpse into the inner workings of these shows as a senior. This is my first job in the entertainment industry, and I am so excited I got to work at the SNL 50th Anniversary Special. Last November I worked as a press person at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which was certainly a top internship moment so far.

Last summer I moved off campus into an apartment. I have had so much fun exploring my new neighborhood and making it a home! This was a big step toward feeling like an adult. Yes, I am still a student, but now I think about things like utility bills and Anthropologie glassware. In all seriousness, leaving on-campus housing has helped me slowly transition away from all things NYU, which will likely be helpful upon graduating.

While that certainly comes with a tinge of sadness, it also reminds me how much good has come from these four years. I live with Alexis, whom I met through the Admissions Ambassador program. I have photos from NYU London and NYU Florence framed on my bedroom wall. Trinkets from the Met decorate my space. And my steamed slacks are ready to be worn to 30 Rock tomorrow morning. So much of my home is characterized by my time at NYU, and I will always hold immense appreciation for how it has shaped me.