This is the second of a two part series sharing how M&T’s have been making the best of this virtual semester. Despite the challenges that come with learning online and implementing various safety measures, such as social distancing and quarantining, we can embrace this time to rediscover interests, pick up new hobbies, and be grateful for those close to us.
Where are you in the world and what brought you there?
I am staying in a rented house in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I live in an apartment, but it’s under renovation and my family thought it would be nice to stay at a place with a garden during quarantine.
What have you been most grateful for in the past few months?
I am grateful that I was able to make some friends in UPenn even with the online environment and that I am doing great academically in such a difficult program while still having time to try out some new recipes.
Any activity or hobby you have gotten into recently?
In quarantine I have picked up doing japanese food! It’s actually going great and some very delicious rolls are coming out of it. Before quarantine started I actually went to a class to learn how to do a couple of things in the japanese cuisine, but only recently I have been able to effectively try it.
Ana (M&T ‘24) is from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and is pursuing a BSE in Computer Science and a BS in Economics from Wharton with a concentration in Finance.
Where are you in the world and what brought you there?
I am currently at home in New Delhi, India. As soon as Penn announced that it was shifting to remote learning last spring, I came home because I had no housing options in the United States and have been here ever since.
What have you been most grateful for in the past few months?
The past few months have been really tough. However, I am really grateful for the fact that me and my family have been keeping safe and healthy. Moreover, my brother and I were in a boarding school so we never got to spend a lot of time with one another as well as our parents. Staying at home during the pandemic has allowed us to catch up on lost family time.
Any activity or hobby you have gotten into recently?
I used to play the bamboo flute when I was in high school, but left it when I came to college just because I could not find the time. Now that I am at home with more time on my hands, I have started playing the instrument again.
Kush (M&T ‘23) is from New Delhi, India and is pursuing a BSE in Computer Science and a BS in Economics from Wharton.
Where are you in the world and what brought you there?
I am currently residing in Holetown, Barbados. I am not from here; not even close. I’m a true international. I grew up in Greece until I was 10, then moved to Cyprus, where finishing a public high-school I had no idea of any opportunity to head to the US. My army days came right after, during which I spent my free time first-time googling foreign to me words and phrases: admissions, TOEFL, Common App, Wharton, etc. Convincing myself that it’s worth a shot trying, against every recommendation from every member of my family, I applied unknowingly to the best dual-degree program around biz & tech on the planet and got in. Two years in as a rising junior now, I’ve decided to focus my left side of the brain to Computer Science and the right one to Management. In March, after the university kicked everyone out of the dorms with a 4 days notice, me and my roommate had internships in the US so we decided to find a safe place to “camp” until the pandemic subsided. We booked 1-way tickets to Kona in Big Island, Hawaii, where we ended up spending the next 5 months, inviting 6 friends over to intern together remotely (and COVID-safely) and calling Hawai’i a second home (I even got a state ID!). Post-summer, out of the 8 folks in the house, 7 of us decided to gap the semester and 5 of us hopped on a flight to Barbados where we’ve been ever since.
What have you been most grateful for in the past few months?
If there’s one thing I’m proud of, that is having incredible, caring, against-the-stream, compassionate friends. Being able to communicate with friends after months of silence and feel like a single day never passed is my rule of thumb for great international friendships. Moreover, the major reason the Hawai’i and Barbados experiences took place was not because we had the idea or the guts to do so; it was because a group of incredible friends knew and trusted each other to come together to plan rationally, long-term and with each other in mind.
Any activity or hobby you have gotten into recently?
Never would I have imagined that for months straight my daily schedule would be: online work, surfing, dinner, sleep and repeat. After buying a car in Hawai’i, we drove to CostCo to get surfboards and to Walmart for surf rash. Despite getting enjoyably smashed by the waves every time since we were still beginners, through continuous feedback, grit and deliberate practice, we managed to now be comfortable riding waves. Yet, our favorite wave remains that of uncertainty.
Orestis (M&T ‘22) is from Greece and Cyprus and is pursuing a BSE in Computer Science and a BS in Economics from Wharton with a concentration in Management.
Where are you in the world and what brought you there?
I am currently at home in Munich, Germany. I live just outside the city, close to the training grounds of FC Bayern Munich. I returned during spring break of last year and decided to stay put to complete a consulting internship which allowed for some travel before the second wave hit. Recently started a new internship in Asset Management and would have liked to work in person in London (chance to meet up with awesome fellow M&Ts like Rohit), unfortunately COVID has made that difficult. Hoping to have a chance to go skiing in the alps if the pandemic situation improves – would love to organize a trip with fellow M&Ts if people are interested!
What have you been most grateful for in the past few months?
The continuous support of friends and family. Especially the chance to spend more time with my parents given the usual large distance and time difference between us in normal school semesters. On a more humorous note, I am grateful for not having to travel back and forth to work as well as the additional flexibility of working from home. Yes, I have taken multiple calls with no pants on 🙂
Any activity or hobby you have gotten into recently?
I recently watched The Queen’s Gambit on Netflix and it revitalized my passion and interest in chess. I have begun to play again and learned some new openings (my favourite is the Caro Kann Defense, although in the series it is called “All pawns and no hope”, oof). If anyone would like to play a game (I am ~1300 elo) feel free to add me on lichess (Username Dmonyar) and perhaps we could organize a M&T chess tournament.
Raymond (M&T ‘22) is from Munich, Germany and is pursuing a BSE in Computer Science and a BS in Economics from Wharton with a concentration in Finance and Business Analytics.