Letter to my First-Year Self — Emily Deutchman
Hello, Emily from 2020! What an absolutely crazy ride the last four years have been. The first thing that I have to tell you is that you transferred to NYU! I know that sounds absolutely crazy but Elon was simply not the place for you so you applied to NYU to transfer and got in! Actually, you studied abroad at NYU Paris and then came to New York! NYU has always been your dream and it was truly so incredible. You have accomplished so much in four years and I am so proud of you!
Sophomore Year:
You started your NYU journey in Paris which was the most incredible experience! You met some of your best friends and had the time of your life exploring Paris and traveling. Your first semester in the city was definitely a shock but so incredible. You started to find your footing on campus and at NYU Hillel. You took every opportunity to join as many clubs as you could and to explore the city fully.
Junior Year:
Junior year is when everything started to fall into place. You found your grove in your classes and joined Kesher Board and Ani ‘V Ata. You were also a BHive intern which combined your love for media and Bronfman. You made a community at Bronfman as well as with your Paris friends which was incredible. In May, you went on Birthright and had the best ten days of your life. From there, you spent your summer in Tel Aviv on Onward which was not what you expected, but amazing. You learned tons about Israeli culture and Judaism and made some of your best friends on Birthright. You also had a film marketing internship which you cherished and you truly had a blast in Tel Aviv.
Senior Year:
Senior year was a complete rollercoaster. You got to live with your best friend in the most incredible area of the city. October 7th completely turned your world upside down, bringing you closer to your Jewish identity and leading you to some of the most incredible friends. You continued with Ani’ V Ata and were a Shleimut intern which you loved since you combined your interests in disability studies and Judaism. You were also an accessibility intern for Bronfman which you cherished. The year absolutely flew by and although you don’t quite have a plan for after graduation yet, it will be okay! The past month on campus has been challenging for you due to protests yet you are resilient and got through it.
NYU was challenging academically but you learned so much and enjoyed every minute of it. College was absolutely crazy and I am flabbergasted at how fast my college career flew by. I took advantage of every opportunity and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I am so grateful to Hillel for providing me with such an incredible community of people to call my friends and a place to call home.
