The Model Student
The Pforzheimer Honors College was a big reason why Noelle Howard ŮٱƵ19 was initially drawn to Pace. It was a unique environment that acted as ŮٱƵa home away from home,ŮٱƵ she said, which makes sense. She grew up quite a distance from the NYC CampusŮٱƵall the way up in Northern New York at the border of Canada along the St. Lawrence River.
HowardŮٱƵs had her eye on moving to the Big Apple for a while, though, and the Honors College provided just what she was looking for. ŮٱƵTheir individualized advising provides such a great support system,ŮٱƵ Howard said. ŮٱƵYouŮٱƵre paired with someone who knows you and the things you are interested in and will recommend programs based on those interests.ŮٱƵ
Originally, she chose to major in financeŮٱƵand people made a ton of incorrect assumptions when they heard. ŮٱƵI would always get asked if I wanted to work in investment banking. My response was: definitely not!ŮٱƵ It took signing up for Mathematical Economics (taught by Lecturer Sam Baruch) to get Howard thinking about what major she might like to switch to. ŮٱƵI really enjoyed getting a more well-rounded understanding of how the economy works. I have been able to use this in my finance courses to deepen my understanding of the topics we are taught.ŮٱƵ
Beyond the classroom, Howard has been an active member of the Tau Sigma National Honor Society, Kappa Delta, and Beta Alpha Psi, whose completion team won second place in the nation last year. ŮٱƵThose experiences made me realize how much I enjoyed learning outside of the classroom, so I began looking at what other opportunities Pace offered. ThatŮٱƵs when I found the Model United Nations.ŮٱƵ
There, she nabbed an Outstanding Position Paper award for her research at the 2017 Conference. ŮٱƵThe experience changed me in multiple ways,ŮٱƵ she told us. ŮٱƵI learned a lot about different countries, I honed my writing and presentation skills, and I learned a lot about the different functions of the UN.ŮٱƵ In particular, Howard said that meeting fellow students from other universities helped make the conference enjoyable.
Her desire to make the world a better place doesnŮٱƵt stop there. She also interned for an immigration law firm last year, which was a job that left a huge impact on her. ŮٱƵWhen families would come into the office and they [were] told their paperwork for citizenship was accepted, their reactions were truly amazing. I felt very fortunate to be able to witness it.ŮٱƵ
ItŮٱƵs that empathy and desire for human connection that has woven its way throughout HowardŮٱƵs life, beginning, perhaps, with her competitive ballet dancing. (Yes, really.) ŮٱƵIŮٱƵve greatly missed ballet while IŮٱƵve been at school,ŮٱƵ she told us. ŮٱƵIt had a very large impact on my life. I loved dance because it was an escape; during rehearsals, you would be so focused on what you were doing that you couldnŮٱƵt possibly think of anything else [in that] moment.ŮٱƵ
She went on to explain that ballet became a way for her to relieve stress, and that moving an audience through dance was why she continued coming back to it again and again. ŮٱƵThe impact performances [can] have is truly amazing. Some people are brought to tears because of the story [being] conveyed. ThatŮٱƵs what inspires me most about dance.ŮٱƵ