Over this past first year as a student at UC, my academic and personal growth in particular were most impacted by the Honors seminar, “Exploring the Austrian Empire Through Music”, that included a study tour to Austria and Hungary. This once-in-a-lifetime experience gifted me with core memories and values that I will always carry with me.

            I grew up playing classical piano and have been musically-involved throughout all of my adolescent years of school. Entering college to pursue a STEM degree, I ultimately gave up playing and learning about music in order to channel my focus and energy into my coursework. Though, when this class was offered, I was immediately interested and felt relieved that I did not have to forfeit my love for and eagerness to learn about classical music. Being able to learn in this seminar both during in-class discussion and on the study tour allowed me not only to broaden my horizons beyond STEM, but dive into an area of study that I am passionate about. I learned about composers and musicians from the Classical Period of Vienna and could envision the lives of those that I grew up listening to, playing, and admiring. Dissecting the musical scores in preparation for class led to fulfilling class discussions about what was meant by the piece and how the context in which it was written had an impact on its interpretation, both during the 18th to 19th centuries and nowadays.

            Visiting Budapest, Hungary and Vienna, Austria with this class was simply remarkable. The sublime architecture stood second to none, and the best part was that I could apply what I had learned in class to what I was seeing in-person. Standing in front of some of these composer’s homes, walking alongside their scores and pianos in museums, and seeing their unwavering impact on modern-day Europe was such an immersive experience, leaving an everlasting impression on me. What I had learned became more concrete and personable after the study tour. Not only this, but I learned how to navigate a new, foreign city with my peers and mentors and grew in terms of trying new things, being more adaptable. Exploring and problem solving on-the-go in such beautiful cities was incredibly fun and rewarding. I was a sponge, soaking in every bit of new information and wondrous sight. With this, I valued a new culture more by being surrounded by it; I cultivated an ever-growing appreciation for Budapest’s and Vienna’s culture, classical music aside.

            In the end, this experience renewed by love and passion for classical music, and I now listen to music with more intention on understanding the context and stylistic choices. I will remember the skills and lessons I learned from this class to apply to my future endeavors, both abroad and at home.

 

My first year in UHP was impactful to my personal and academic growth, and my first Honors experience played an immense role in that. One future experience that I plan on pursuing in order to keep my growth on a steady uphill track is the Honors seminar titled “From Neurons to Picasso” with a study tour to France. Having one study tour already under my belt, I am confident that this class would gift me with more memories and valuable lessons. As a Neuroscience major and art & art history enthusiast, I believe this class is a perfect fit to my interests and future endeavors. I can continue to apply my learning abroad with the addition of problem solving in the context of my major. This class introduces the interdisciplinary nature of neuroscience through the lens of art, and I hope to nurture my academic and personal growth with this experience.

            The next experience that has and will continue to aid my growth is being involved in the Vietnamese Student Association here at UC. Coming from a Vietnamese background, VSA was like a comforting bowl of hot soup, something I had missed so much from home. Learning about my heritage and hearing stories from others like me made me approach life with more empathy and trust. I felt like I came into college quite cold and leery of others – I avoided rejection by being the rejector. I am beyond thankful to VSA for helping me to come out of my shell and embody being myself. I hope to hold an executive position within VSA in the future to hone my skills as a leader and be part of creating an inclusive and enjoyable environment for others as they did for me.

            The last experience that I will continue doing in order to keep growing is participating in Bearcat Buddies. During this past spring semester, I volunteered as a part of this program, and it was one of the most rewarding things I’d ever done. I plan to work with children in the future with a focus in child psychology, and Bearcat Buddies was a perfect gateway for me to experience that. Seeing how I could make an impact in the nearby community with the tutees looking forward to Bearcat Buddies every week made me more secure with my future career. I was part of something bigger than myself, incorporating patient, empathetic, and understanding attitudes to serving these children and the school they were from. Continuing with this program and aiming for Lead Tutor will shape me into a better candidate for working in child psychology, as it as already made a lasting impression on me in such a short time.