Skip to main content

On Fireworks and Being a Freshmen

By 2014 Legacy Awards Recipient and Elks Scholar Advisory Board Member Anji Radakrishnan

 


Anji Radakrishnan, 2014 Legacy scholar and freshmen representative on the Elks Scholar Advisory Board, is giving us a glimpse into life as a college freshmen. Join her each month as she blogs about her exciting new challenges and experiences at Penn State.

    During this past summer, while the rest of the soon-to-be college freshman were busy hanging out with their friends and enjoying the presence of their families, I was in a small study lounge on my floor, busily typing away Biology notes, speeches, and English essays on my laptop. I attended Penn State’s summer session, a necessary component of my six year premedical-medical program through Jefferson Medical School. This summer introduced me to brand-new experiences. The most memorable of these was the 4th of July weekend.

    On the 4th of July, thousands of people arrived at Beaver Stadium to watch the light display to come. The entire community was abuzz with excitement about this annual celebration. Barbecues and music galore were vital components of the day-long festival. The fireworks themselves were grander than anything I had ever seen before. Coming from the small city of Nashua, NH, all of the fireworks I had seen previously were small and bought at a local store. Sitting in flimsy fold-out chairs with my friends, staring at the beauty lighting up the sky above us, is a memory and feeling I will never forget. Sometimes, it’s important to just let go of the problems we have and stresses we feel, and enjoy the world around us.

    Although I had a blast at Penn State over the summer, there are so many more things to look forward to. Football games, the Color Run, concerts, etc.., but beyond that, deep, meaningful friendships to build. Things are going to be quite different from summer to fall. My small campus of a few thousand students will grow to accommodate 40,000. My 3 classes will become 5. There will be clubs, activities, and events to attend. Over the 6 weeks I was at Penn State for the summer, I learned how to study for college courses and how to manage my time efficiently. The real test begins now, when there are numerous other factors that are thrown into the mix.  Join me in my next post as I fumble through the do’s and don’ts of being a college freshman! I hope all of the other Elks Scholars in our family out there are having a wonderful college experience as well!

Anjithaa Radakrishnan
Elks Scholar Advisory Board Freshman Representative
Pennsylvania State University


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Labels

Show more

Popular posts from this blog

Seizing Every Opportunity

Reflections from the SAB President By Kat Nakamura 2019 MVS Scholar Hi, Elks Family! I’m Kat Nakamura, a 2019 MVS Scholar currently serving as the president of the Scholar Advisory Board. My time with the Elks has been a transformative experience, not only providing me with financial support for my education but opening the door to a nurturing community of like-minded individuals and remarkable opportunities. My journey began when I applied for the Elks Most Valuable Student scholarship, and little did I know it was just the beginning of a life-changing adventure. Months later, my mom encouraged me to apply to join the Scholar Advisory Board. Initially hesitant, I thought there was no chance of being accepted. Little did I realize that this decision would lead me to one of my most cherished experiences throughout college. The Scholar Advisory Board are the representatives that advise the ENF on scholar relations. Apart from being on the board, members attend the Elks National Conve
Post a Comment
Read more

A Boatload of Scholars, a Busload of Clothes

By: Aditi V. Patel,  2019 Most Valuable Student scholar Last week, I had the pleasure of serving alongside 20 other amazing Elks scholars as a part of the Tampa Elks Scholar Service Trip. I did my research before the trip and found that Hurricane Ian had displaced more than 40,000 Floridians in September 2022—I wanted to do something to help! After landing in Tampa, we got right to work by sorting a busload (literally) of clothing that Tampa, Fla., Lodge No. 708 collected from the community for Greater Pine Island. We organized each item of clothing by size, made sure each item was in good condition, and placed them into bags. Whenever there weren’t clothes at my table, I would shift to another station to help others, and I saw other scholars doing the same. It was amazing to see everyone laboriously working for hours without any complaints, learning names and fun facts as we went. We had dinner at the Tampa Elks Lodge, which is where I had my first genuine conversations with the s
3 comments
Read more

Finding a Place in the #ElksFamily

by Aleah Hahn, Most Valuable Student Scholar Aleah Hahn received a second place Most Valuable Student scholarship in 2018. She graduated from Michigan State University in 2021 with degrees in Biosystem Engineering and German. She is pursuing her master’s degree in Marine Resource Management at Oregon State. In her free time, she likes to cycle, forage and hike. Over my spring break I was able to partake in the 2022 Spring Elks Scholar Service Trip in Chicago! In 2018, I attended the 150 for 150 Service Trip in San Antonio, where we celebrated the Elks 150th anniversary through service. Both were amazing experiences to serve in the name of the Elks. They were alike but also different in many ways.  In San Antonio, I connected with Elks state leadership from my home state of Michigan since the trip was at the Elks National Convention!  I served with 149 other scholars and met many of them. It was a great opportunity to connect with other scholars. The majority of our service was at Haven
2 comments
Read more