Zoltan Feher: Putting Experience Online
A student in the Program in International Education
(PIE), Zoltan Feher
came to Bard from Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest,
Hungary.
“
I’m a triple major, in American studies, political studies, and
law, with a focus on international relations and foreign policy. I
speak German, English, Hungarian, and a little bit of Russian. The
PIE program paired me up with the perfect adviser, James Chace, who
taught several of my classes and helped me design my schedule. He directed
Bard’s Globalization and International Affairs program in New
York City and suggested that I attend those classes and lectures, even
though I wasn’t enrolled in the program.
“
The PIE students and BGIA students then started a cooperative project,
called Countries in Transition. We held discussion forums and dinners,
with students giving presentations on particular countries’ situations
and issues, and we built a website called American
Age,
which focuses on students doing international projects and studies.
It’s a great resource that anyone anywhere can access.”
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Rong
Huang
Rong Huang, a native of Fuzhou, China, arrived in the United States
five years ago. He was introduced to Bard through his participation
in the College’s Clemente Course in the Humanities, which
provides college-level instruction, for credit, to economically
disadvantaged individuals who have limited expectations for
furthering their education.
I didn’t see
a computer or know English until I came to the United States
when I was 15. I spent one
year at a school for immigrants,
then transferred to the High School of Economics and Finance, in
the Wall Street area.
In high school I took
a Clemente Course. That gave me a good impression of Bard. I
wanted to do classical
study, rather
than just business;
I need an education in western culture. At Bard I’ve taken
Latin, drawing, poetry, and psychology. I have mentors, such
as Dimitri Papadimitriou
[executive vice president of the College and president of The
Levy Economics Institute]. I have Moderated in economics. I want
to investigate
how government policy will affect mainland China. Would it be
better to implement a U.S. economic model or a European one?
I read the
Economist and papers published by the International Monetary
Fund and the World
Bank.
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Yassmine
Hamayel
Yassmine Hamayel is a Palestinian who came to Bard from her home
near Yasser Arafat’s compound in the West Bank city of
Ramallah.
I am considering a
double concentration, in history and psychology, because I may
want to become a politician
and spokesperson
for
my people. I’m also a member of the International Students
Organization and Muslim Students Organization. I think my Senior
Project will be
about social psychology, specifically how political activity
relates to the occupier and the occupied.
I like the fact that we have to
go through Moderation. It forces us to be determined and decisive
as we choose our concentrations
and our
Senior Project topics.
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Andrés Zambrano
A native of Cuenca, Ecuador, whose family now resides in Manhattan,
Andrés Zambrano is a Higher
Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) student. HEOP assists students who, despite economic disadvantages
and inadequate educational preparation, have the ability to succeed
at Bard. Andrés is pursuing a double concentration,
in literature and theater.
Literature has always
been my passion; it’s a different way to
approach history. At Bard I’ve also become fascinated with
theater. Plays, concerts, lectures, film screenings, and art
shows, which are
usually free to students, are a big part of my life here. For
my Senior Project I want to direct The House of Bernarda Alba,
a play by Federico
García Lorca.
HEOP has been the most significant factor
in my educational life. Speaking as a minority student and as
a participant in HEOP, I can say that Bard welcomes everyone with
aspirations and has something to offer each of
them.
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Shlomit
Dror
Shlomit Dror came to Bard from Jerusalem, Israel. She plans to
concentrate in art history.
Nearly every one of
my classes is small enough for us all to sit around a table.
We argue,
we debate, and we listen to each
other’s opinions.
We’re encouraged to ask as many questions as possible,
and really, that’s the best way to succeed here—to
follow your curiosity.
Last semester I took
a course that surveyed Latin American art, something I hadn’t known anything
about. The class piqued my interest; I’m thinking
about studying that subject in greater depth.
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Kaythee
Hlaing
Kaythee Hlaing, a native of Rangoon, Burma [Myanmar], is a Trustee
Leader Scholar. The TLS program helps Bard students develop leadership
skills through designing and implementing
service
projects on campus and elsewhere.
I’m concentrating
in classics and political science. I find the Greek and Roman
classics enthralling. In First-Year Seminar I studied
Plato’s Republic with President Leon Botstein and then
I fell in love with Thucydides’ History of the Peloponnesian
War during a course taught by Leon and by James Romm. I also
studied Alexander
the Great with James Romm. Those classes made a huge impression
on me. I’m planning to study ancient Greek this coming
year.
With the support of
the TLS program, I’m
developing an art therapy project for Burmese street children
who have
undergone traumatic experiences.
The entire project was my initiative.
I coordinate efforts
with my peers and professors at Bard and with people and organizations
off campus, and I do all
the
fund-raising. I’m in touch with a local aid agency
in Burma.
It will include training local volunteers,
so the project will eventually sustain itself.
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Elena
Grigorescu
Elena Grigorescu is from Piatra Neamt, a small city in
Romania. She participates in Bard’s Distinguished
Scientist Scholars Program, which provides full-tuition
scholarships to academically outstanding
students who are majoring in the sciences or mathematics.
With
the Hudson River on one side, beautiful trails in the
woods, and autumns like something out of a fairy
tale, Bard
is situated
in an
amazing landscape for a nature lover like me. I joined
the hiking club when I arrived here.
I came here planning
to concentrate in math. After I arrived, I tried a class in computer
science. I liked
it and added
it as a
second
concentration.
My Senior Project in mathematics concerns
Hilbert series and functions, syzygies, and exact sequences of
monomial ideals
in polynomial
rings. Next year I will do research for a Senior
Project in theoretical computer science. . . . Bard is a college
for people
determined
to
push their
intellectual abilities.
My professors take great care
to see that I accomplish my objectives. They create an intellectual
atmosphere
that encourages
students
to engage each other and challenge themselves.
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Valon
Xharra
Valon Xharra is from Pristina, the capital of Kosovo.
He attends Bard on a merit scholarship through
the Bard Presidential Scholar program.
During the war in
Kosovo, I worked with U.S. diplomats, and it became clear to
me that
Kosovo needed
professional political
officials able
to pave the country’s path toward a prosperous
future. After the war, I looked into studying
in the United States and chose Bard. My concentration
is political studies.
My Senior
Project
will probably
be related
to the United Nations and/or the European Union
and their effect on the
Balkans.
The Political Studies Program encourages
me and my classmates to express our views and think
critically about political
issues that
shape our
lives.
I’ve traveled with the cross-country
team to compete in meets. The team spirit is
rewarding; I’ve become friends with everyone.
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Yukari Sekine
Yukari is a native of Brazil who came to Bard to participate in the Immediate
Science Research Opportunity Program (ISROP) but also plans to study philosophy.
This is my story. It will probably be different
for each one of you, but it's always nice to see another person's
experience, through their eyes. Why did I come to Bard? In a
way, it was just chance... a scholarship program, and much luck.
Now I'm here, and what do I love? I love being on an adventure
away from my home, Brazil. I love the freedom of being a college
student, and I love feeling that I have so much to learn, and
so much to grow - as a student, and as a person. I love the beauty
of this campus - the river, the trees, the peaceful energy, and
its power... I love the small community... A sense that everyone
makes their presence here... I love how many special people I've
met... friends, professors, amazing minds, hearts, with so much
passion and creativity.
For me, I've found the perfect place to breathe,
to look into myself, to sense life and feel its beauty. I feel
it's where I should be right now. But it's true, everyone has
their place, and maybe it's not Bard. Good luck with making your
choices. Be brave to make them, follow your heart, and be happy.
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Litta Naukushu
Litta is an Immediate Science Research
Opportunity Program (ISROP) student
from Namibia.
My name is Litta Naukushu and I'm from Namibia.
I didn't know much about Bard before I came here, just the little
that I had read off the internet. I didn't realize that it would
become so much like living in one big house. Being at Bard student
is like being a sibling in a big family, it's large enough to
give you different perspectives, yet small enough that there's
just the right amount of attention paid to all.
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Nripesh Dhungel
Nripesh is from Nepal. He is a science major participating in Bard's Immediate
Science Research Opportunity Program (ISROP). He is currently the president
of the International Student Organization (ISO) and a peer counselor in a
residence hall.
Coming to the states, I was very frightened
by the thought of not being in the place where I grew up. Moreover,
I didn't know how I would adjust to an American College. I mean,
we've all seen the movies that depict American College life,
right? The crazy people, the unfriendly staff and faculty, classes
with more than 50 people in some large hall, teacher's assistants
teaching every class offered, and the one international kid who
is always the comical relief?
Well the first thing I have to say is that
Bard does not reflect the Hollywood image regarding college life
for international students. When I first came here, instead of
finding large classes, I found myself sitting in a group of nine
people discussing topics and learning in a way I had never learned
before. I found the welcoming international community here to
be quite large and very respected by the rest of the college,
and instead of a Teaching Assistant, I found some amazing professors
who not only taught the class but, loved the subjects they were
teaching. I discovered a community where I was encouraged to
get involved and that is exactly what I did. I am now a sophomore
pursuing a major in biology. I am involved in many clubs and
organizations and have established a root for myself-all thanks
to Bard. Drop me a line if you
have questions.
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Ana Paula
Ana came to Bard from Brazil.
"Hi! My name is Ana
Paula and I am a senior at Bard College majoring in Computational
Biology. I started my undergraduate studies in Brazil and transferred
to
Bard because I wanted to experience different fields of studies
beside biology. The flexible curriculum Bard offers allowed me
to take
classes
in a variety of different areas, from computer sciences to
political studies, and then be able to integrate the ones that
I’m
most interested in."
"Here at Bard I also
had the opportunity to go abroad and study at a university in
Spain for one semester.
After being exposed
to different
educational environments and being able to compare them,
I can
see how much Bard has contributed to my personal and academic growth."
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