Today I spoke to my grandmother Michèle over the phone. We talked about her husband Emmanuel’s health, our hopes to see each other soon, and my aspirations. To this she responded: “Raphaël, tu as du grain à moudre, si tu veux trouver ton chemin de lumière” Translated, this expression means, “Raphaël, you have grain to mill, if you want to find your illuminated path.” Besides my Mamichèle’s image of milling grain with mortar and...

Full essay: Prompt: 650 Word Cap. Why are you excited about pursuing your chosen major in AAP? What specifically about AAP and Cornell University will help you fulfill your academic and creative interests and long term goals? I was first introduced to City and Regional Planning through Gary Hustwit’s documentary film, Urbanized, which discusses this profession. My first thought after seeing this documentary was: “I’m going to save the world, by being an urban designer!” I jumped around for...