Barely two months after finishing my military service in the Israeli Air Force, I packed my bags and moved all on my own to Los Angeles.
I attended a community college there for two years and planned to transfer to a nearby university. When I began the application process, my advisor strongly encouraged me to consider Columbia. It took some persuasion—I wasn't sure I was eligible, let alone a strong applicant, until I did some research and discovered GS.
For the past few years, to give back in a humble way to the GS community, I've served as an Orientation Leader. I consider myself very lucky to be able to take part in such an incredible event.
The excitement of the day, combined with the hesitation and uncertainty on the new students' faces, reminds me of when I first came to GS and reinforces how much I've grown both intellectually and personally since then. I always look forward to sharing my personal experience with the new students to help them make the most of an amazing opportunity.