SKIPA Fulfilling promises to myself as a soon-to-be graduate COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog

SKIPA Fulfilling promises to myself as a soon-to-be graduate COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog Julia Chung is born and raised in New Jersey, but hopes to be considered an honorary New Yorker. She is a second year MPA student concentrating in Urban and Social Policy and specializing in Technology, Media, and Communications. After graduating from Vassar College with a BA in Sociology and a minor in Asian Studies, Julia worked at various nonprofits in New York City on issues including housing, immigration, education, and civic engagement. As I enter my final semester, I promised myself that I would make the most of my last five months at SIPA. This semester is going to be the one when I take the classes in topics I haven’t explored before like impact investing, energy policy, and negotiations. I will go to all the talks that seem interesting (There’s an exciting one on the Green New Deal next week!). And I will take advantage of the resources that the Office of Career Services can provide (I signed up for a resume workshop and the public service networking event!). But, SIPA is not only about academia and the job search. It’s also about living in NYC with some of my closest friends with the flexibility in our student schedules to truly enjoy the time we have together. And so I will go to all the restaurants and museums I haven’t been to yet. I will go to all my favorite SIPA events like the Publique parties and formal Gala thrown by our student government. And, not to sound corny, I will say yes to new experiences. One of the new experiences I signed up for was this past weekend. I went to SKIPA, our student-run, three-day ski trip. I haven’t skied in over twenty years and all I remember is falling a lot and being cold. But, I knew it was going to be a great way to see my friends before the semester gets busy and a good memory before I graduate. Also, some of my classmates from warmer climates have never skied before, so I knew I’d have some company on the bunny slopes! We drove up to Killington, Vermont, on Thursday night and us sixty Seeples stayed in condos just at the foot of the mountain. On Friday morning, my friend, who has been skiing since she was 2 years old, gave me with a much-needed lesson on how to pizza and control the skis. I stayed on that bunny slope the whole day but met up with everybody for lunch at the top of the mountain for some chili and mac n cheese. The evenings were just good fun with classmates packing the hot tub with 20+ Seeples, hanging out around the fire and drinking hot chocolate, and going out to eat at local restaurants. We repeated the same Saturday ski, hot tub, and food. I must say that I was quite proud that by the end of trip, I was able to go to on something other than the bunny slopes. We drove back on Sunday morning, in time to do some reading for my Monday class before the Superbowl! I must say that SKIPA trip, unexpectedly, has been MVP of the semester thus far. To see the calendar of events at SIPA, visit the calendar here!