I am a sophomore from Miami, Florida, majoring in economics and minoring in computer science. At Penn, I am co-president of the Undergraduate Economics Society and am involved with a number of clubs centered around finance and technology. 

Entering my freshman year in the fall of 2020, ISP could not have come at a more perfect time. During such a turbulent period, the program seemed to always ask the questions I was seeking answers to. Studying happiness and despair through the lens of positive psychology and religious studies, for example, I was able to meaningfully engage with complex, uniquely human experiences of uncertainty and doubt. It became abundantly clear how coupling the rigorous study of distinct disciplines had the ability to amplify my understanding of both fields and the interactions between them. 

Above all, however, it is the community that the program fosters that is its greatest quality. I have kept in touch with a number of my classmates (two of whom are my roommates) and plan on maintaining these friendships for years to come. I highly recommend ISP to incoming freshmen seeking new perspectives, the chance to hone in on critically important academic skills, and lasting bonds with your classmates during your first year of college!