The Five People
Here’s a short list of the Five People you will meet at Babson- and ultimately will change your life!
The New International BFF: This is someone who who comes from somewhere outside the US- perhaps from somewhere you have never even heard about but you will slowly see a bond created the is out of this world. At the end of the day, we are all just humans and love some of the same basic things- rather it be music, cooking, or anything in between. I got lucky enough to find my best friend from Turkey who also happened to be my roommate. I had never met anyone from Turkey and thought we would have absolutely nothing in common- but we quickly bonded over our love of Justin Bieber jams, chocolate, and traveling and thank goodness, because I couldn’t picture my life without anyone else. If you are already an international student, you are even luckier to get to meet someone from another country or even your own country that you didn’t even know existed! Two of my best friends, both from Paris and went to the same high school, only bonded because they both went to Babson and they can vouch for not picturing life without the other either.
The Cultural Other Half: Before coming to college, I didn’t have any friends who also spoke Cantonese, the second most popular type of Chinese. Everyone I knew spoke Mandarin and talked about going to visit the mainland, whereas I dreamt of visiting Hong Kong, where my dad is from. Here, I was able to meet several kids from Hong Kong and raved about the amazing food and skyline, all in Cantonese! Exchanges in Reynolds happen all the time in Spanish, English, Turkish, but now also in Cantonese! Instead of worrying about losing my native language skills as many kids do when they go to college, I am able to practice and strengthen my skills and even learn some more Mandarin, which I am not as proficient in. My best friends from BAPSA,, Babson Asian Pacific Student Association, and I am able to bond over the Chinese New Year when I am not able to be home and also go for late night bubble tea runs, the best thing ever and what I’ve been doing since I was a kid! It really makes Babson feel like my home away from home.
The Visionary: This is the person who makes you feel like world is your oyster, and it’s your destiny to find the pearl. At times when life seriously sucks, and you think that you failed your exam or you’ll never come close to landing your dream internship, they gently remind you that life goes on and is ultimately made up of the good and the bad. I am constantly awed by the amount of raw talent and ambition at Babson. Some of the coolest people that I admire here are involved in the arts, such as this one kid who graduated and spends his time being a filmmaker for amazing non-profits and start-up businesses alike. It is these people who inspire me and remind me that you can do so much more with a business degree- and what’s most important is being happy and hardworking in the end.
The Humble but Wildly Successful Entrepreneur: I got so lucky to have the chance to be so close to a successful entrepreneur. It’s not a difficult thing here but if you ARE lucky enough to be really close to one they will endlessly inspire you and help you with their network and drive. My friend and I met doing a really random thing- we traveled to New York one night with a couple close friends, we called it our 24 hours in the city. It was one of the best experiences so far at Babson and proved the importance of action and not hesitation. As we talked more and he spoke about never giving up, and wanting to bring real change to his country for generations to come, it made me realize how much of an impact I could be in my own life and beyond. One thing I have found in common about entrepreneurs- it’s not about the short term, it’s all about the long term success. They’re always thinking about the next move and the next investment, something I had little experience with but now have progressed toward as well. And one last thing- they’re humble. The success should always come with an underlying humbleness in their eyes, because sure, there are successful pompous people but even more impressive are the ones that believe in giving back and giving back often- something we should all aspire to.
The Elder: You can never move forward without looking back. This is a small school, and whenever first years ask what advice I can give, I always say befriend the upperclassmen. They’ve been through your classes before and many have been through the same struggles, and are totally willing to help. One of my closest friends is like a Big Sister to me, and I know I can always go to room for advice, for late night ramen, call her if I’m ever in trouble or just want to have a fun night out. Even though you never want them to graduate and go on with their amazing lives, just spending time together and talking is always the best way to bond.
So do I think I’ve found myself and my identity yet? Perhaps not. But these Five types of people have helped me immensely through the adventure so far and I’m sure they will do the same for you!