Marching Band Journey

Marching band not only accepts all eccentricities, but also nurtures them to achieve its collective goal of creating a perfect, emotional show. Every member has a different background. Some love chemistry, others love cooking, but the hard earned fruition of every individual in the band is the same: passion honed into skill. Marching band is a tight knit community, accepting of outsiders, driven by a purpose. Each member has their own responsibilities and duties, but the cohesive force of music is a driving and unifying feature. Similarly, the goal of educated change unites Penn’s students. When I visited the Penn campus and strolled down Locust Walk, communities and clubs emersed me. At their tables, I made sandwiches for the homeless of Philadelphia and learned about raising awareness of women’s rights in the Middle East. Each group had their own distinct goals and wanted to change a specific aspect of society. I could easily start conversations, and the activities of the other students captivated me, teaching me about new and distinct topics. Come spring I envision myself in the midst of Locust Walk, taking the upperclassmen’s place, running my own table on STEM education or disease awareness.

The College of Arts and Sciences, specifically its Health and Societies major, combines multiple

Because of my interest in global health, I want to take Modern Biology and Societal Implications and the Philosophy of Biology. I also am excited to learn from Robert Aronowitz, the 21st Century’s expert of the evolution of diseases. When I visited Penn’s campus, I learned from current students that they forged strong connections with their professor, forming tangible bonds between teacher and student. The professors at Penn value and respect their students: rather than simply reciting facts, the teacher encourages and empowers their students to find real-world solutions for the solutions for our society’s present and future