Baruch Valedictorian Finds Purpose Through Israel Experience
Annmarie Gajdos is currently the Communications Coordinator at the Integrity Senior Services. She is a proud graduate of Macaulay Honors College at Baruch College, CUNY, and the Valedictorian for her graduating class of 2020.
I grew up in a religious Slovak-American family. I went to church every Sunday, read the Bible during services, and made my First Communion. But it was the people of Israel who brought these stories to life for me.
I grew up in Staten Island, amidst a sea of white Catholic Italians, so my exposure to diversity was limited. As a first-generation American living in a homogeneous community, I saw the United States in a skewed way, and noticed that my culture was misunderstood. None of my peers understood why I celebrated Christmas on January 7, or could locate Slovakia on a map. It was difficult to connect to others; I felt culturally isolated. It was not until I got to Baruch College that I realized how rich the diversity of New York City truly is.
When I walked through the doors of Baruch for the first time, I felt overwhelmed. I was not used to seeing so many unique people under the same roof. It was difficult to find a sense of community at a school with over 15,000 students. This all changed the day that I heard about Israelead, a trip run by Hillel at Baruch for non-Jewish student leaders to travel to Israel. It would be my first time traveling abroad by myself, as well as my first time directly interacting with Jewish culture…