Name: Julia Shneyderman

Hometown: Newton, MA

Activities at Princeton: Service in Style, former President; The Princeton Spectator, former Editor-in-Chief

Before Princeton, I was involved in completely different activities. Although I had been interested in journalism for quite some time, I was very involved in piano performance throughout high school and never had the chance to pursue journalism to the degree I would have liked.

I grew at Princeton by getting involved in very diverse activities, in most of which I had no prior experience. I have loved writing, but working for first The Daily Princetonian and then The Princeton Spectator presented my first experience in reporting. Through working on all aspects of Princeton’s Fashion Show – from organizational to fundraising efforts – I learned to work with incredibly diverse individuals on this campus. The work involved working with students, Admissions officers, and corporate representatives. Learning to take on responsibility in areas, which had been foreign to me prior to Princeton, expanded my capabilities and only deepened my interests in those areas.

I supported “cross-pollination” by becoming involved in a very multi-faceted spectrum of activities. By getting involved in The Spectator and the Fashion Show, I was able to take initial interests and follow-through with my involvement in each area, eventually taking on leadership responsibility and learning from my involvements in extremely varied areas of Princeton’s campus. The Fashion Show is a tremendously diverse event, drawing participants from all interests and talents; by bringing together students of different areas of skills and passions, it has served as an inspiration showcasing the efforts of very diverse individuals.

I learned that perhaps the best way to learn of my own capabilities is to stretch my limits by working on very diverse projects, thus obtaining a new skill-set, learning to work with as diverse a group of people as possible, and – most importantly – broadening my horizons by expanding upon budding interests.

After reflecting on my experience at Princeton, I have concluded that it is important not only to continue to pursue prior interests upon arrival at college, but also to explore other areas students may not have ventured into in high school. New challenges provide one of the best opportunities to learn of one’s own capabilities and limits, and in turn the chance to stretch those limits. By broadening their scope of interest, students may widen their worldview and obtain a more diverse set of skills and interests. Having mastered one more new skill by acting upon an interest, no matter how unfamiliar at first – even if it was started by simply thinking, “this might be kind of cool” – adds tremendously to personal growth and maturity.

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