With the new year upon us, many students are setting academic goals for the upcoming semester. Resolutions for the New Year are not new, they have been a part of human life for 4,000 years, starting with the Ancient Babylonian Empire which celebrated a 12-day festival to start the New Year.
People make resolutions because a new year symbolizes a new chapter, with a fresh beginning. People can be confident to make changes to their everyday life. However, the tradition of trying to achieve these resolutions is difficult for most people.
But, Michal Ram, a junior at Cardozo, is determined to become a professional in his field.
Ram’s New Year’s resolution is to further his professional skills in education. He wants to major in English and specialize in teaching. He plans to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in education from Queens College. He then wants to earn his master’s degree from Stonybrook University, which will take him two years. He then wishes to become a state-registered teacher.
Ram plans to stay in New York for his education to be close with his family. In total, Ram plans to spend seven years in college. He doesn’t mind though, stating, “When you truly desire something you wouldn’t give up no matter the time or effort needed for your goal.”
“I want to inspire the younger generation like my teachers inspired me,” Ram continued. He wants to work in the school to see children thrive in their academic activities.
His favorite year in school was freshman year and his favorite subject was English with Ms. Weiss and Mrs. Wheeler. Ram shared that English was something he was always good at. “I always like writing stories and being creative with my words, I love books because I can clearly picture the atmosphere and interpret the writing in my mind.”
“Books can do things that you would never see in a traditional film, even with CGI,” he explained. Ram’s favorite book series is Jinx, which is fantasy story and peaked his interest in 9th grade.
Currently, Ram is volunteering as a monitor for a math teacher at Cardozo. He believes being a teaching assistant gives him experience in scheduling, grading, and offering critical advice to students. He also takes the time to tutor children in primary in middle school in his neighborhood.
Through his experience, Ram stated, “I learned that as a role model, I have to be lenient with the children I help. The harsher I am on these students, the more fear they have to ask me questions. People tend to learn better in a carefree environment.”
When Michael turns 18, he plans to take NYSATAS (New York State Assessment of Teaching) to become a professional Teaching assistant.