Humans of Elsie (the phonetic pronunciation of 'LC' for 'London Center) is our own way of getting to know the students, faculty, and staff here at ICLC. Each week on Instagram, we share a new human(!), and this week, we wanted to share Samantha's answers here on our blog.
1. What is something you’re excited to experience in London soon?
Though we are halfway through the semester there are still many things I have yet to get around to in London. One thing I am very excited to do is visit more public gardens. I love lavishing gardens and there are so many open to the public. I went to Queen Mary’s Rose Garden, by far my favorite. Things were still in bloom and it smelled so good inside the gates! Despite things starting to die with the change in seasons, I still have a few on my list that I need to see before returning home. I plan on going to the Sky Garden, located high above inside a skyscraper, the Kyoto Garden, which is Japanese-inspired, and the St Dunstan in the East Church Garden, having vines entwined in the ruins of an empty church.
2. What are people surprised to learn about you?
People are surprised to learn that my younger brother, Simon, and I share the same birthday. We are NOT twins though! There are two years between us. The family always jokes and says he was my birthday present. What is even funnier is that we both go to school in Ithaca, but he is at Cornell with a full ride for wrestling. Not only do we share March 19th, but the downtown Commons!
3. What experience as a teenager or a child has had a positive impact on your life?
Graduating high school, at 16 years old, to attend college heavily impacted my life. You’d think being a teenager in college is a dream, but it was hard. I was at a county college in New Jersey and was not taking myself seriously. I skipped classes because I thought my social life needed a revival, wasn’t paying attention when I would attend class, and would wing it during tests thinking the smarts I to graduate early were enough. I got multiple F’s and was on the verge of losing financial aid, not to mention being dismissed by the college. Finally one day, instead of crying about the situation and feeling sorry for myself, I snapped out of it and vowed to flip the script to turn my future around. By the time I graduated, all my F’s turned into A’s or B’s and I left with a Liberal Arts associates degree with Cum Laude. Since then, I have done nothing but maintain the momentum. I have only one out of two years left here at Ithaca; I’ve already been inducted into the Transfer Honor Society and National Communications Association for maintaining an impressive GPA and continuing to be the best version of myself. The end may be near, but it is all just the start.
4. If you could have dinner with one celebrity, who would it be and why?
If I could have dinner with any celebrity it would need to be with Brittany Broski. She is hysterical! If you’ve seen her YouTube videos or listened to any podcasts, especially from her Royal Court channel, you already know she’d be the most entertaining dinner guest. If we did have dinner I would probably laugh so hard that I’d start choking on my food, so only liquids for me!
5. What advice would you give a student wanting to come to London?
I have two pieces of advice for future ICLC students. The first would be to bring something you love that reminds them of home. I was so excited to come here that I forgot the possibility of feeling homesick. Every night I wish I had brought my favorite stuffed animal, especially when things feel overwhelming I regret not packing him to snuggle with. Secondly, remember that you are here to learn! It can easily slip the mind that the reason for coming to London was to study abroad. There is so much to do and experience that you feel euphoric, it begins to feel like a 3-month vacation more than school. Try to keep in the back of your mind that there is an objective to being in London other than exploring, but never keep yourself from having fun! It’s all about balance.