Name
Anthony

Major
Biological Sciences

Concentration
Latino Studies and Education

Hometown
Bronx, NY

Describe your experience at CALS

My freshman year at Cornell and in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences could not have been any better. From the moment you register as an incoming freshman, CALS opens the doors to tremendous opportunity and resources. I am only a rising sophomore in the Agriculture school, so I have yet to use all the resources available. As a freshman I was able to get assistance in resume building, summer internship placement, as well as career counseling and many other areas. In regards to academic assistance, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences was able to provide me with an academic advisor, Pre-med advisor, student advisor and various mentors and tutors for any of my needs. These are resources that I believe are vital in any area of study here at Cornell and is what helped make my freshman year in CALS a successful one.

Advice to a prospective student looking at CALS

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences can be compared to many Universities in itself. Offering over 23 major fields of study in so many different concentrations, one can just become a little overwhelmed with the vast amount of options available to you. The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences lays a great platform for students to begin and complete a successful career at Cornell. If you are looking for great faculty, staff, classmates, research opportunities and priceless resources, CALS is for you.

Activities

President of Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity, Inc. Vice President of Sabor Latino Dance Ensemble, CU-Image, Cornell Red Carpet Society, Peer Review Board, Quisqueya: Dominican Students Association and Sangre Taina: Puerto Rican Students Association.

Hands-on Experience

This fall I served as an Orientation Leader for the incoming freshman class. In this position I served as a guide and mentor to the incoming freshman during orientation week. I was assigned students in CALS who were just being introduced to the Cornell Community. It was very fulfilling to be one of their firsts contacts at Cornell and to able to set the stepping stones for these great group of students.

As a Brother and President of Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity, Inc I have had the opportunity to get to know the beautiful Cornell Campus even more. Through community service and community out reach programs I have introduced myself to another part of what Cornell is about. Cornell is a large community located in the city of Ithaca. It is important to understand the community which you are now a part of and try to help out those who are less fortunate. It is through these experiences that I can say that my Cornell career was not solely based on academics.

This summer I have had the privilege of interning for the public finance department at Financial Guaranty Insurance Company. As an intern I was exposed to a whole new field of interest, finance. As a biological science major in CALS, I will be able to take classes in my new found interest of finance. Through this Hand-on Experience you can see the CALS covers many areas on one spectrum, which allows you to explore areas of studies that do not necessarily correspond with your field of study.

This summer, Cornell/CALS approved and provided funding for a three week course in the Dominican Republic. I was able to explore the culture and societal issues affecting the Dominican Republic today. It was through this great opportunity that I was able to learn more about another culture and learn more about myself.

Awards and Recognitions

Some of my awards include, New York Lottery Scholar and New York State Board of Education Scholar. As a freshman, I was also recognized for hosting prospective students for over 72 hours.