Ready To Take On The World
By Chelsea Jupin
As the class of 2014 high school students graduates from Henry Street’s academic programs, one particular senior is ready to make her mark on the world, thanks to her time at the Settlement’s Expanded Horizons program.
Tenzing Andrugtsang came to Expanded Horizons in her sophomore year after being referred by her high school, the Urban Assembly School of Business for Young Women, when she was looking for a tutor. What she found was so much more.
“I started talking to the counselors outside of the tutoring room when I was getting interested in college,” says Tenzing. “Now, it’s a family, and I go even if I don’t have any schoolwork to do. They give me feedback on everything; it doesn’t have to be about school. The staff really pushes me, and care about what I want in my life.”
Tenzing’s first big step with Expanded Horizons was during her junior year when she was invited to go on a college campus visit. Shortly after, she was accepted to a summer program at Syracuse University. “That was a big moment,” she said. “It was my first time away from my mom outside of the city, on my own for six weeks, like a mini-college experience.”
This year, Tenzing worked with the staff at Expanded Horizons to complete the entire college application process, from essays, interviews and additional paperwork. Her senior year also brought a heavy workload, but she particularly enjoyed the government and economics courses. “It makes you inspired to change the world; it makes you want to do something, and take action,” she said.
One of Expanded Horizon’s brightest seniors, Tenzing will attend Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts, this fall. The greatest take-away from her time with Expanded Horizons is the importance of being one’s own advocate. “I learned that whatever opportunities were given, I would go out there and try to take them. If they’re handed to you, why would you not take it when you can do something with it?”
Tenzing is considering a double major in neuroscience and marketing. She understands the challenge, but thinks both areas are important, and figures, “Why not challenge yourself while you’re in college?”
