I’m a current senior studying biomedical engineering (BME) with an emphasis in electrical engineering. However, my time at USC in terms of extracurricular activities was not BME-focused; rather, it was consulting-focused. I joined AIM (Association of Innovative Marketing Consulting) in the first semester of my sophomore year and was immediately placed as a Project Manager of a team. Following my experience there, I joined the E-Board and have taken on different roles within the club, ranging from social media management to client recruitment.

My first year at USC was a hazy blur. The highs were high and the lows were low, to say the least. My biggest struggle was adjusting to life in a place very different from my small Illinois hometown. My classes at USC were difficult, and there was immense pressure to fit in. There were so many moments that year when I would go out to a social event – be it a party, club, or wherever everyone else was going – and leave the night feeling horrible about myself. Though I wasn’t able to admit it at the time, I was forcing myself to be someone I simply wasn’t. While I was changing and growing as a product of my new environment, the positive aspects were getting lost behind the mask I felt I had to present to those around me.

As an Asian American, AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) month is a special time of the year for both me and many others in the U.S.

With origins dating back to the late 1970s, Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month is a significant event in American history. To recognize the contributions made by AAPI communities to American society, Congress presented several joint resolutions in 1977 that called for the observance of Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week. This marked the beginning of the journey towards acknowledgment.

Post-vacation blues are such a real thing. When you’re on vacation, it feels as though nothing matters, and you have all the time in the world to just enjoy yourself. Time often stands still, and there’s no better feeling.

A year ago today, I was studying abroad at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, gallivanting across different countries in Europe on the weekends and spending time with the incredible friends I made through the program on the weekdays. It was an incredible experience to say the least, and I have an immense nostalgia and longing to go back in time and relive those adventures all over again. While the experience itself was magical, getting approved to go to Edinburgh was a complicated process.