Last year, a senior I looked up to attended the Yale Young Global Scholars program and shared her exciting experience and how much she enjoyed the program. She described YYGS as a learning experience where ideas flowed, friendships developed across borders, and learning extended far beyond the classroom. I decided to get into the program to enrich myself with global experience.

Last month, I was visiting Columbia University, and I saw a big protest full of masked students, surrounded by heavy police presence, to oppose the Gaza war. It was a surreal experience to see students passionately protesting, but at the same time, some of them were supporting violence against a particular group of people.

The teenage years are like a rollercoaster ride for many of us. One moment, we are feeling euphoric, and the next moment, we are exhausted and depressed. Some of us are confused and scared due to the hormonal, physical, and emotional changes we are going through. There are also various pressures that we have to deal with, such as peer, academic, social, and family. Not all of us are mentally strong enough to withstand these pressures.