Emma Steiner - Class of 2014

 

One of the reasons I love NYU is that it really encourages students to study abroad. I did a creative writing program in Florence, Italy last summer, and I spent this current semester in London, but I was unfortunately sent home due to COVID-19. I think it’s really important to gain an international perspective, especially in this day and age when a comprehensive understanding of global issues is particularly crucial. As a journalism and history major, I strongly value the ability to learn in the places I’m studying. Additionally, I am in NYU’s Presidential Honors Scholars Program, and I was able to travel to Athens in January as part of that. I am currently applying to do research next year on German national identity and shifting racial tensions due to immigration laws from the Nazi era to the 2015 refugee crisis. 

I suppose if there’s something positive to come from COVID-19 it might be that people seem to be getting outside and exercising more. There’s an open-space path behind my house, and I’ve never seen more people walking their dogs and running. I hope that this trend will continue once the virus is under control. I guess another thing I’ve enjoyed while living at home is getting to use my parents’ Peloton bike!

I think BCD is really good about focusing on writing skills and world language. I’ve noticed throughout high school and in my first couple years of college that many schools emphasize STEM over a classical education, and the limitations of this come across strongly in students’ abilities to write. In my opinion, writing is a key skill in any field, and the ability to write clearly and concisely is one that fewer and fewer people possess. BCD’s early introduction to foreign language is wonderful because languages get harder to learn as one gets older. I should know; I’ve been studying French for fifteen years now, and I’m still not fluent! However, starting French in preschool at BCD has certainly helped.