Note to self: googling ‘how to introduce yourself on a blog’ returns no helpful results.
Hi! As you’ve surmised from the ‘Published by’ section, my name is Ryan Albaum. Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, I’m doing my best to blend in (kidding) to my surroundings and truly experience all the new possibilities that have presented themselves since I moved down to St. Louis two years ago.
I am a rising junior in the College of Arts & Sciences double majoring in English Literature and French. Given that French is the official second language of Canada I thought it would be in my best interest to continue studying the language – it doesn’t hurt my job prospects back home either! I’ve also been told French is the language of love but I have yet to see a return on my investment. Where I truly find my passion is with English. Never do I feel more comfortable and at ease than with a fresh book in my hand, a cup of tea on the table next to me, and a vanilla-lavender candle slowly burning and filling my room with its sweet scent (yes I know that this is overly arsty but bear with me).
Outside of the classroom I am an athlete on the school’s varsity football team, I am a member of a fraternity, and I am also part of an international English honor society. Athletics have played a large part in my personal development thus far and I could not imagine a university experience without football. More than a game, the sport has provided me with 100+ friends whom I can count on whenever, as well as a a coaching staff that feels more like family than my overseer. My fraternity experience has provided me with a social outlet separate from that of the football team where I have made friends from varying backgrounds and ideologies that have helped me grow through introspection and better understand myself. The international English honor society doubles down on my academic passion (see the unnecessary aesthetic description above for better context).
This summer I am interning for the Undergraduate Admissions department – the perfect opportunity for me to do justice to the school that I now call home while getting the opportunity to explore St. Louis and truly call this amazing city my own. This blog will be periodically updated with personal anecdotes from my WashU experience and if you are so inclined to follow me on my journey I more than welcome your company on this Series of Fortunate Vignettes.
— R.D.Albaum
