1 - WHO YOU ARE MATTERS

    My name is Serena, and I'm from a small town called Cranbury, NJ. I've always loved Cranbury--the town screams classic white American Dream, with a main street that bridges over a quaint lake, a single K-8 school, a local ice cream shop that was built out of the owner's front porch, a local pizzeria, and a culture where everybody knows their neighbor and the PTO moms get brunch together. Of course, now I can recognize the bubble I grew up in, but I appreciate the lovely, innocent youth that I had.

    As a junior studying communication and cognitive science, my future could go a number of different ways.  I'd love to found a start-up with creative people to see what problems we can solve together, but honestly, I think I've been obsessing a bit too much over trying to head somewhere fun, fulfilling, and that can support me out of college. Eventually, I hope to come to terms with seeing my next destination as a stepping stone instead.

    Surprisingly, my immigrant Asian parents are the ones that have instilled this mindset in me. In particular, my mom knows how my brain works very well--we have similar approaches to how we value our relationships, money, experiences, and future--and she constantly lets me know that it is ultimately up to me to figure out where to end up and how to get there. 

    My dad is more of a traditionalist and wants me to optimize my decisions, but I know he just wants the best for me. Even when we clash, I still respect his thoughts because I know I don't have an ounce of a true understanding of what he experienced growing up during the Cultural Revolution in China and immigrating to the States with $180 in his pocket. My desire to live successfully and happily definitely is self-produced, but it does involve making my parents proud not because of their expectations, but because of the respect I have towards them.

    Someone who inspires me is my friend Katie. She essentially decided to start college all over again when she switched from Price to SCA junior year, I admire her self-recognition of her endless desire to create and influence, especially as someone who went the opposite direction when I transferred from Roski into Annenberg and Dornsife.

    An animal I connect with is a lizard! I used to chase them around during summers spent in Florida with family. I love how quick-minded they are while still knowing when to relax and just enjoy the sunlight. 

   I don't have a specific significant childhood encounter with a plant in mind, but a holistically significant part of my childhood involves gardening with my mom. Growing up in the Garden State meant that one of my favorite parts of summer was picking fresh tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, and more from the backyard. Funnily enough, I hated tomatoes and cucumber growing up, but getting in the dirt was enough for me. 

Sun: Pisces

Moon: Cancer

Rising: Scorpio

Comments

  1. Kaitlin Baldwin 340January 24, 2021 at 10:59 AM

    Hi Serena, nice to meet you! Your parents' story is so empowering. They seem like great role models for working hard and achieving success on your own. My dad is very similar in that way -- while this sometimes frustrates me, it has served me well and I will always be grateful to him for not being easy on me. When I was younger, my brothers and I had bearded dragons which was fun at first until the lizards got super territorial and aggressive and had a million babies. But I still love lizards, especially the mini ones that I always catch sun bathing on the stone outside of our house. I also love to garden. Nothing beats home-grown produce!

    ReplyDelete
  2. AlissaJanuary 24, 2021 at 2:38 PM

    Nice to meet you Serena. Your father's story is very inspirational. It's amazing how far hard work can take you in life. I completely relate to your point about making your parents proud out of respect for them - I feel the same way. Every weekend my mother and I go to a farmer's market here in Greece - it must be a dream having all the organic produce in your backyard.

    ReplyDelete
  3. NickCJanuary 24, 2021 at 6:48 PM

    Hey Serena! It is nice to meet you. It is cool how many passions you have. Going from art to communications and cog sci is a big jump, and it is cool that you bring all that to the table. I am looking forward to class with you this semester!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Carlo RinconJanuary 25, 2021 at 9:02 PM

    Hi Serena! I love how truthful you were throughout your writing. I can tell how much thought you put into your writing and I am grateful to have gotten to read them. I wanted to comment on your relationship with your parents as I have a similar one with my father most of all. Him being an immigrant from Colombia (also coming from poverty), during the height of the cartel, I know that I often am privelaged in my worries, stresses, dreams, and in every aspect of my life, especially in relation to what he lived at my age. Like you, my father does not necessarily pressure me, but I more so pressure myself so that he can be proud of me, and in turn proud of himself. Thank you for your reflections! Great work!

    -Carlo Rincón

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousJanuary 27, 2021 at 12:13 PM

    Hi Serena! I love your small town upbringing, I lived in a large suburb and went to a huge high school (my graduating class had 1400 people) so i feel like i didnt know anyone living around me. I think at one point i want to settle down in a small town in New England it reminds me of Gilmore Girls. It's interesting that your Asian parents are open to you finding a career that you like and that is fulfilling my Asian parents are definitely not like that lol. I look forward to class together this year!

    -Anuhya

    ReplyDelete
  6. Professor HansenFebruary 3, 2021 at 1:16 PM

    Serena, you've got a real easy way of expressing yourself, which I enjoyed. That East Coast small town upbringing is really something to treasure, I think. Know several people from places like Cranbury in New Jersey, and they are among the most "grounded" people I know! I'm glad you're a part of this class.

    ReplyDelete

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