Andre’s story about growing up in East German was really fascinating. It was especially interesting to hear about how the difficulty of travelling out of the country partially inspired to him to travel abroad as an undergrad to do research. He mentions in the middle that he learned more from those practical experiences than from any of his classes. I wouldn’t go as far as to say that I don’t learn anything in my classes, but this semester I’ve been participating in astronomy research with a few graduate students. I’ll admit that I don’t understand everything, but just begin involved with other researchers and seeing what real physicists are doing has helped me learn in a new way.

In podcast 10.28 (Fellow Interview: Rose Buzz with Julia Felippe and Andre Kessler 3/24/2021) I  strongly resonated with the idea that it is important for women to get involved in tech because during my internships I noticed that having people from different backgrounds contributes to a variety of perspectives helping us develop a better and more efficient solution to any problem for a wider audience. People from different cultures always makes the product better for everyone. Additionally, I strongly agree with Andre Kessler who recommended choosing what your are passionate about to study because you will always be good enough to make money and your passion will lead you through bad times always keeping you happy.  This is very good advice as many of my classes I have picked were out of interest and passion. In fact, these classes have actually become the fields I ended up getting internships in!

The other speaker,  Julia Felippe said you will question what you are doing but always remember you have plenty of time to do what you want so reflect and think about opportunities and talk to others about it. This is something I resonate with because a while back I decided to do some research experience with my major department. This is because solving problems that have never been solved before is a very motivating experience for me and after talking to my Professors about it they said it is not late to start on the track of research and even start getting prepared to apply for PhD next fall! Hence, it is never late to start!

This edition of Rose Buzz featured Dr. Julia Felippe and Dr. Andre Kessler, experts in their respective fields, talking about the experiences that led them to where they are now. Both of them grew up outside of the United States, which made it interesting to hear about how they eventually made it to Ithaca to pursue their respective subjects.

Something that I appreciated was the emphasis both speakers placed on diversity in experiences. As a student, I’m often under the impression that my choices have the utmost weight on my future. It feels to myself like I’m putting in great amounts of work, so the effect of that work must somehow become proportional to my standing that I’ll achieve later in life. But as Dr. Felippe pointed out, a career is built up of many experiences and choices; it’s not going to be determined by any single factor, but exists rather as an aggregate of your time in pursuit of your subject. Dr. Kessler’s experiences seemed to be driven by his passion for biology, irregardless of where it may lead him; but his passion served as a strong drive, and in the end, it took him so far that it led him into an expert position in his field. I really appreciated hearing this week’s interview, because it helps me put my academics into perspective. Individual moments are important to me in the present, but the most important thing is that I consistently do what I love.

After attending the Rose Cafe talk with Professor Julia Felippe and Professor Andre Kessler, I was filled with new energy and inspiration. Both professors shared stories about their background, and provided us insight into the challenges they’ve faced along the way while getting where they are today. One thing theme of the conversation that really resonated with me was the advice that Professor Felippe gave. She mentioned that there is not just one order that your life has to follow. Hearing her experiences with veterinary school really inspired me that there is time to figure out what I would like to do. Professor Kessler also mentioned that we should embrace every situation, even challenging situations, and this helped to put in perspective that we should make the best of every situation, even if we don’t know at the moment where it will lead. This advice was inspiring, especially as we are going through a pandemic and are at a point in our lives when we are shaping who we want to become!

The Rose House Buzz Talk with Prof. Julia Felippe and Prof. Andre Kessler was very eye opening because I was able to learn about the journeys that they underwent in order to get to where they are today. Both of the remarkable speakers hurdled mountains (in the case of Andre Kessler, quite literally) in order to earn doctorates in their remarkable fields. They both gave very thoughtful advice in order to maximize our experiences at Cornell and how to go forward with out endeavors. Prof. Julia Felippe advised to “always go for it” because it all depends on perspective. A lot of people think that if they do something, there are just o many things that can go wrong; however, she encourages us to think about all the things that can go right! Furthermore, Prof. Andre Kessler, talked about all of his research endacors before starting his career at Cornell. The most prominent one was when he had to travel o his own from some European country to the Galapagos- the route of travel was quite eccentric and tiresome. He had to take a plane ride, train ride, and then a helicopter that dropped him in the middle of the forest (I can’t imagine myself being stranded in the middle of the Galapagos!). All in all, I learned a lot about their incredible journeys and really inspired me to take advantage of all the different opportunities that Cornell has to offer.

I have learned a lot from Dr. Julia Felippe and Dr. Andre Kessler’s life stories. These past couple of months have been very eventful for everyone. Reflecting upon my life, I have had some surprises similar to Dr. Felippe and Dr. Kessler, both of whom had no idea where their life would take them. As a transfer student, I had no idea that I would ever attend Cornell and move during the midst of a pandemic. Despite enduring all of these challenges, it is great to be reminded to lead with your passion. Sometimes I forget that following your heart will lead to personal success, especially with the pressures that come with attending Cornell. This event was a great reminder.

I learned a couple more lessons from this podcast. For instance, Dr. Kessler mentioned that it is essential to figure out your career passion because once someone does, they will always be able to make money. A person’s love and expertise for their passion will give them opportunities to live their life. Instead of working to make money, a person is making money to continue working and following their passion. I find that a beautiful reminder that I plan to pursue. Sometimes I get worried about future concerns without dealing with my initial hurdles. This made me realize that I have time and should focus on one problem at a time. Dr. Kessler also mentioned that what he learned outside of school was more beneficial than what he learned in the classroom setting. These summer learning experiences stuck with him and impacted his life path and aspirations. I am incredibly grateful for this event. Dr. Felippe and Dr. Kessler’s stories were not only interesting, but a great way to be reminded of important lessons that will aid me in my overall career path.

Hearing the stories of Dr. Julia Felippe and Dr. Andre Kessler was incredibly inspiring. Neither of them planned to end up at Cornell, or even in the United States; in fact, there was a time in which Dr. Kessler never thought leaving East Germany was possible. Their account of how they pursued a passion, wherever it took them, to end up doing what they love really resonated with me. I know what my passion is, but I have no idea where I want to end up with it. Following their advice and simply taking opportunities that allow me to experience what I love is guaranteed to be enlightening and could even redirect my future career entirely. However, one of the things that Dr. Kessler said about planning really stuck with me. He said that his plan to study biology was what kept him from joining the military, but that his goals changed throughout his life based on his work. He also mentioned that what he learned outside of college was perhaps more beneficial to determining where he ultimately ended up. I realized that I was placing so much pressure on myself to take certain courses to prepare myself for a specific future, however I am not certain I want that future. I will be more open to taking internships and experiencing different fields related to my interests in the future so that I can be sure to find the one that I enjoy the most, whatever it may be. It is important to have a general plan, but I should not be restricting myself.

The life story that Andre Kessler described at the fellow interview tonight was remarkable. He explains how he managed to avoid entering into the East German army and still received the benefits of being able to go to high school there. This is all because the East German government fell and reintegrated with West Germany under democracy. He also explains how he then got to study many things he would have never otherwise been able to, such as life sciences.

He then explained what his paramount advice is to the Cornell students. He stated that it is imperative to figure out their career passion because once one does, they will always be good enough to make money. I find this to be true due to the incredible benefit that comes with the added motivation that comes with doing what you find meaningful. Mark Twain once said, “Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” I find myself so fortunate to have found my passion in Law because I wholeheartedly believe in the legal and justice system. I hope the rest of the Cornell community can make more benevolent change in the world due to this advice in their respective areas of study.

I enjoyed getting to know Dr. Julia Felippe and Dr. Andre Kessler this week! Like in previous weeks, a lot of what they said resonated with me, from how they found their academic passions to their personal interests. For example, Dr. Felippe said that she developed a passion for working with animals early on in life and that this passion was kind of inexplicable. Dr. Kessler knew he wanted to be a biologist in fourth grade and noted that this determination saved him from making mistakes later on in life. I knew I wanted to study math from a young age, so it was nice to hear about their academic experiences growing up. It was also nice to hear about the fellows’ lives outside of the United States. For example, Dr. Felippe was born in San Paolo, Brazil, and Dr. Kessler grew up in Germany. I was born in the Philippines, so I found that I was able to connect with the fellows because we are all immigrants. I learned a lot about the countries they came from, too. I had no idea that in Brazil, it is commonplace to go to professional school right after school or that in Germany, students were recruited to join the military in tenth grade. I appreciated the career advice they gave, as well. Dr. Felippe said that your career is something you make throughout your life, not the result of one decision you make in college. I will definitely keep this advice in mind so that I don’t limit myself in what I can do in the future.