I can safely say that having the privilege of being a Harvey Scholar at Mines is one of the best things that has happened to me. I toured Mines my senior year and though I had my mind set on going out of state. My heart knew this was the place for me when I overheard another student casually talking about relativity to their friend on the way to class. Many people, including other Harvey Scholars, have had a huge impact on my education and world view. Being around such passionate and philanthropically minded people is contagious. With the opportunities provided by the Harvey Scholarship and an awakened humanitarian drive, I’ve been able to go on a number of humanitarian trips to countries I would have never thought of visiting, like Nepal and Tanzania. I have also love the challenges that Mines puts on every student. The things I am learning as a physics major are very interesting and stimulating but the people are arguably one of my favorite aspects about attending Mines. I love people, and the openness with which students offer their help to one another is delightful, as well as the near certainty that you can strike up a conversation with someone you’ve never met (or have met) and have deep intellectual conversations about all kinds of topics. That’s pretty swell. The work load can be tough, but I have learned so much academically and socially. I would never trade my experiences thus far and am looking forward to another stellar year learning about physics, going out of my comfort zone and enjoying the company of awesome people.