We Asked Y(O)U Answered: What is Success?
What is success? If you ask an investment banker on Wall Street and an expressionist painter in Venice, you probably will receive vastly different responses. College is a time of change when people's values fluctuate and develop. Going into college, we thought our lives were going one way, and often, they have completely gone another. The Commentator asked students from both campuses how they define success for themselves and whether that has changed since they started college.
Joseph Smith (SSSB ‘25)
Major: Finance
“Success for me stems from the ability to set out a goal and accomplish it. But also in order to be successful you have to really enjoy what you're doing and feel that you're doing something that matters. So if you have one element without the other it doesn't count. I always had somewhat of the same perception of what success means as a concept but I used to believe the goal to accomplish was becoming a millionaire with fast cars and a nice house. Now a successful day entails me working out in the gym, pursuing my education, and finding peace.”
Sarah Cohen (SSSB ‘25)
Major: Marketing
“My definition of success is to have a great work-life balance, feeling like I am doing something for the Jewish people while also impacting my inner circle, including family, friends and community. Ideally, career-wise, my goal is to land a job somewhere in the nonprofit world. Before I started college, I thought I wanted to be part of corporate America and work a more rigorous job. But as I get to the end of my experience, I've developed a passion for bettering and developing Am Yisrael, and I am more focused on that.”
Avi Polotsky (YC ‘25)
Major: History
“On a day-to-day basis, I define success as staying disciplined with my goals and values, which means going to the gym, ensuring I get my work done and showing up to my other obligations that day. When I started at YU, I didn't know what I wanted to do with my future, so my definition of success then was staying aligned with my religious values and getting good grades. It was a more general idea without any practical way to practice them. Now, being here for a while, I know exactly what I must do to reach my level of success.”
Yael Friedman (SSSB ‘25)
Major: Business Analytics
“I would define success for myself as wherever Hashem sees it as a success for me. So, that practically comes into play through fulfilling my religious potential. Also, it means aligning my will with Hashem's will, doing whatever He wants from me and trying my best to find it and achieve it. This has not changed since the beginning of college as I have known for a long time that these are the goals I'm trying to accomplish.”
Daniel Glick (SSSB ‘25)
Major: Finance
“The main three factors contributing to my success are excelling in physicality, spirituality and mentality. Regarding your physical life, you must take care of your body through proper eating, hitting the gym and getting your cardio in. You also have to have a spiritual side to be successful, realize you are not a great power in this world and recognize that there has to be something greater than yourself to put things into perspective. And now, mentality, you must wake up every day wanting to be successful and ready to work hard. Money comes with that as long as you put your head down and work. Without that, you have nothing. Baruch Hashem, I am at Yeshiva University, where I can work on my spirituality daily and continue growing with my Yiddishkeit.”
Photo Caption: Student working to achieve religious aspirations
Photo Credit: Zachary Klestzick
