Haaarvard Bound

Well, the deadline to make a decision finally came. After much agonizing (one day thinking I was going to Princeton, the next back to Harvard), I decided just to flip a coin. Heads Harvard, tails Princeton. When the coin flew into the air, was caught by the wind, hit the ground, and rolled into the gutter, I had to seriously sit down and make a list of the pros and cons for each place. Ultimately, being offered a Dubin Fellowship for Emerging Leaders (click here) was the deciding factor. Next year I will have the opportunity to study and work at the Center of Public Leadership (CPL), a program "devoted to creating an ever-growing and vibrant community of new leaders, social entrepreneurs, faculty, and researchers." About sixty students from the Harvard Kennedy School, the School of Public Health, and the School of Education amalgamate each fall to develop the practical skills and understanding to tackle the growing social issues that we face both here and across the globe.

More than anything, I am honored and excited to have the opportunity to work with this group of students (and faculty). Reading through the biographies of the CPL Fellows is both overwhelming and exhausting. The diversity of interests and experiences is humbling. I invite you to click on the link above, and take a look at the Fellows' bios: the Dubins, Zuckermans, Geiltsmans, etc. More impressive than the list of achievements is the subsequent narrative that each individual wrote. The passion and desire about social change is palpable. To be surrounded by people this dedicated to justice and the common good is motivating and infectious, and I hope these networks will teach me how other fields can inform us about maximizing patient care and eliminating health disparities in the United States. Reading about these opportunities makes me so excited for the fall that it is hard to focus on the 4 Shelves and 2 Steps to go...

That being said, it was extremely difficult sending in the letter to the Woodrow Wilson School declining admission. Though I have never regretted my decision to go to UNC instead of Princeton for undergrad, I certainly loved the environment at Princeton. The campus was beautiful, and I very much enjoyed the students I got to meet. Again, there were many "pros" about the place this go around: the 10 month curriculum (which would have allowed me to go to SE Asia for a month!), the coursework and focus on Health Policy, the financial support. It was truly painful clicking "send" on that email. I read the "new admits" message board every day, and was so impressed with the quality of my fellow admittees; so much experience and so enthusiastic (I think I was most impressed by an individual who was part of the National Security Council in Mexico). I know I will be working with these miraculous individuals later on in our careers.

Of course, the ultimate deciding factor was that now I can tell any new acquaintances that "I went to Harvard," preferably within 30 seconds of meeting them. This is a long standing joke between my father and me, and unfortunately I have found some truth to the statement. I would say that about 3 out of every 4 new people I meet who went to Haaarvard, tell me within that time frame. So, in recent phone calls home, I try to pepper it in after waiting at least a full minute (sometimes I just can't help it). This has prompted many promises to my family members that I will be in the 25%. Plus, as I have been reminded numerous times, I was indeed rejected from Harvard Med, so now I'm just batting .500.

There were no bad choices (I was constantly reminded of that). I was amazingly lucky to even have one. I had figured it would be one or none, but instead I was given a true gift of two choices. A special thank you goes to both my parents who gave me this opportunity, as well as appreciation to all the friends, faculty, and mentors who helped me talk through this decision.

Haaarvard bound!