Bridge Year location: Indonesia
Academic focus: considering Chemistry or Anthropology
Hello, my name is Eva (she/her)! Born in Moscow, Russia, I immigrated to the US when I was 9 years old. While culture shock was initially a heavy burden, I have grown to seek other cultures as the harbor of curiosity and learning. That motivated me to apply to the Novogratz Bridge Year Program through which I stayed in Indonesia. Over the course of 9 months, nearly every aspect of my daily life was outside my comfort zone, whether that was interactions with my cohort, host family, crossing the road, etc.. Sure, it was at times exhausting, but I learned so much about myself and how to securely hold my identity while connecting to others despite differences. Now at Princeton, I have a better vision of what I want my next four years to look like. In my free time, I enjoy painting, journaling, playing piano and bassoon, and kickboxing.
What did you learn through your participation in Bridge Year?
My values have greatly shifted from academic to people-centered. In high school, excelling academically meant sacrificing social life, leaving me with a profound feeling of emptiness. Over Bridge Year, however, there was no distinct separation between school and personal life. Instead, learning was weaved into every single part of daily life, whether that was talking to locals, handling cohort group dynamics or crossing the street. My learning journey is now fueled by genuine curiosity instead of meeting my parent's expectations.
What was the best part of Bridge Year for you?
The best part of Bridge Year was the relationships I've built with my host families, NGO staff, cohort, instructors, and others. As my language ability grew, I developed deeper connection with the people around me and enlarged my view into their life. During travel, I would also often get approached by curious locals, which yielded spontaneous and bizarre experiences. I now know Indonesia by the faces of people who are dear to me.