I had an amazing time during my 4 years at Vassar. Definitely had its low moments, but I guess that’s to be expected. A major highlight was honestly the academics. Loved almost every single one of my teachers. I could not pick out a single class or professor as my favorite. Being a part of something bigger than Vassar itself, like VHP, helped me grow into myself more. I feel much more confident about the qualities that I can bring to the table and also so much more passionate about public health than I used to be. VHP helped ground me by giving me a family I knew I could always count on, but it also made me confront moments where it felt like I was on the edge of a precipice. Feeling like you don’t have control over a situation can be scary, especially when you’re in college, far from home, and facing newfound independence and the responsibilities that come with it. VHP helped me overcome that to a degree by teaching me how to maneuver those feelings of helplessness into productivity on a global scale. VHP was an incredibly significant and profoundly impactful aspect of my experience at Vassar that I am infinitely grateful for accidentally falling into. I could not imagine having gone to a different college, what that experience would have been like and the kind of person I would be now because Vassar feels like it really carved itself into me, and that’s undoubtedly partly due to VHP.