For the longest time, I think I have rejected Economics as my major. However, in the past 6 months or so, I have found that I have started to grow into Economics. Game Theory, a course taught by Dr. Debashis Pal, played a significant role in this. The course presented economics in a new light. It involved the behavioral science, psychology, and strategic side of economics. Everything that excites me. Why do people make the choices they make? How can we make better choices? How do we incentivize people? I came to class each day excited and left wanting more. It was all I could think about, and I ended up having dreams of the games we studied in class. I would often attend Dr. Pal’s office hours simply to discuss Game Theory applications in business and life. After some encouragement from Dr. Pal, I ended up joining the Kautz-Uible Economics Institute.
 

I feel that I am a bit at a crossroads in my collegiate journey. I have gone all in on innovation for the past 3 years and have loved every second of it, however, I had a realization a couple of months back that this may be the only time in my life where I can still explore everything that excites me. I brought this up to a mentor of mine, and she encouraged me to start to explore what has been interesting me. Currently, it’s philosophy, history, journalism, and the future of currency. It’s a mixed bag, but I think I see a constant throughline through them. 

I’ll be spending the summer in Wisconsin at Milwaukee Tool doing design research. However, I also hope to spend some time relaxing and diving into some hobbies. I have my next two reads picked out: Nexus - a brief history of information systems (philosophy of information) and The Great Gatsby (I love an American classic novel). Even in these two book selections, I see my current interests come through with philosophy and history. In the Fall, I’ll be heading to Nagoya, Japan, for the semester. In some ways, life feels a bit unstable right now. Not in a bad way, just in the sense that I’ll be going through a lot of major changes in a relatively short period of time. Getting my footing in Milwaukee will take time, as will Japan - if not a bit longer. At the end of each school year, I leave more excited for the next. This year is no different. I know it may not be the smoothest, but I believe the learning and growth potential far outweighs any instability I may run into. Recently, someone used the phrase “like two ships passing in the night,” and it stuck with me. I’ve come to realize that my interests and areas of study are often brief (passing phase), but that doesn’t make them any less meaningful. They can be impactful, even if they're temporary.