Growing up, I have always been more reserved. I was never the first person to jump into conversations or actively participate in social events. I always found joy in doing things by myself or with a small group of very close friends. While this has helped me develop meaningful friendships with a few people, I used to wish I were more extroverted. I thought being extroverted would make me feel more comfortable and help me have a larger group of friends. Although I am working on this skill, I would still classify myself as an introvert.
Thus, when I started preparing to come to Yale Young Global Scholars, what made me the most nervous was not the academic courseload, but rather the prospect of talking to many people and finding a group of friends. When I first arrived, I was a recluse. Whatever free time I had was spent in my room nose-deep in a book, ignoring the fact that to make the most of my experience, I needed to interact with others. However, on the first morning of the program, we had “family time” – a time for a small group of people within your track and an instructor to come together and bond. This start to my day challenged my introverted nature, I had to share my personal opinions on different statements to allow my family to get to know me. Immediately after this time ended, another student in my group asked if I wanted to go get coffee with her before our shared seminar later in the day. That afternoon, we met up at a coffee shop near campus called Common Grounds. Through this experience, we became very closely bonded because we were able to share stories about ourselves outside of the classroom.
Over the following week, we not only became close with each other but also made friends with other kids in our family, forming what we called the “lunch squad.” Every day for lunch, we tried a new local restaurant with different cuisines. Looking back at my YYGS experience as a whole, I now realize that there was nothing for me to be nervous about coming into the program. Every person here is incredibly kind and excited to bond, and there was no need for me to be anyone other than my true, authentic self. I am very thankful for YYGS as I have made lifelong friends and gone outside of my comfort zone, allowing me to become slightly more extroverted!
Sam, YYGS 2024, USA