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May 29, 2006
New York...
I've been in New York City since Thursday, and I am having a fabulous time. Since the day I arrived, I have had to dive head in to everything that is going on, and only today have I had enough time to sit back and reflect upon it all.
My arrival was a bit rocky. I spent a ridiculous hour-and-a-half in NYC traffic in a SuperShuttle from JFK Airport. Our driver held us captive in the shuttle forever as he inefficiently drove around in circles within a 5-mile radius dropping us off at our destinations in a seemingly random order.
A little frazzled but still excited, I arrived at my Midtown East apartment-style dorm, and dumped my stuff off. Although small, the room I share with my roommate Grace has a nice view and enough room for the both of us. My biggest complaint is that we don't have a full length mirror or a trash can. Anyway, I immediately discovered the 99 cent store across the street and headed there to buy cheap hangers and other first-day purchases. It was there that I experienced/witnessed my first NYC racially charged encounter. Basically, a Latino store employee was pestering a Black woman customer who was knocking things over during her frenzy of 99-cent shopping. Within five minutes, they exchanged a slew of horrendous racial epithets, and no one else in the store seemed to notice or care but me. It honestly reminded me of a scene from Crash. It wasn't pretty.
Saturday was my SEO Orientation and it was intense! Just to give you an idea of the hours, I left my apartment at 5:45 am and didn't get home until 9 pm! However, I can honestly say it was worth every minute. We had lots of phenomenal speakers that talked to us about survival in corporate America, the key to great networking, and the cultivation of outstanding work habits. SEO has extremely high standards, but from what the alumni have told us--and demonstrated through their success--is that the SEO Way definitely works. Some examples of SEO Philosophy is that we are expected to "work harder, faster, and ask for more" than the other employees at our firms. We are to arrive at least 20 minutes early to work and to every SEO engagement. We must make it a habit to be the first in, last out at work, receptions, etc. I was thrilled about getting SEO, but after being here and surrounded with 402 other amazing students of color has made me truly honored to be a part of SEO. I know that the lessons I am learning and the experiences, contacts, and friends I will gain through SEO will tremendously improve my readiness for graduate school.
My roommate Grace and I get along really well. We laugh a lot, have fairly similar socializing habits, and have plenty to talk about. She's doing the Accounting program in SEO, so we'll have a fairly similar work schedule.
I start work tomorrow, and I'm really excited!
Posted by kaneisha at May 29, 2006 03:18 AM