Finding community and a passion for music as part of the Kessler Scholars at Queens College
What does the Kessler Scholars Program mean to you?
Luca Xia was part of the inaugural cohort of Kessler Scholars at Queens College (CUNY).
The Kessler Scholars Program, especially at Queens College, is a community for me. Queens College is great, but being a commuter school, it doesn’t always give me a sense of belonging. With the Kessler Scholars Program, I have friends who share the same goals as me and professors who help me develop my skills and interests in terms of career, academics and more. The word “community” really summarizes what Kessler Scholars means for me. It extends beyond friendship—it extends to social, academic and personal development. Kessler made me feel like I belong at Queens College.
What are you looking forward to doing personally or professionally after graduation? I
want to become a Speech Language Pathologist. I really want to make a difference for kids who stutter. In my Asian community, speech pathology is not widely known, and being a first generation college student, my family has no idea what speech pathology is. In the field, there’s not a lot of male representation. There’s also not a lot of Asian representation. I’m one of few Asian and male classmates in my courses. It doesn’t push me away. It makes me want to go into speech pathology even more because I want to represent these communities.
What are you passionate about?
My true passion is music. I discovered my passion for music, especially piano, last year. I took a piano class, and it was the best class I ever took in my whole life. It’s a very rewarding experience. I’m still practicing piano and still taking lessons from my teachers and will continue after graduation.
What advice do you have for future Kessler Scholars?
Study something you’re passionate about. I always have friends majoring in something that can make them money. I think that’s a reasonable reason, but it’s not a great reason. You’re spending four years pursuing something that, in the end, yes, will give you money, but at what cost? Four years of your best time. Focus on more than academics. There’s so much more outside of academics in college. The beauty of college is you can explore anything you want. Queens College has more than 100 clubs. I learned so much more about myself in clubs than in classes. In clubs, you take on leadership opportunities. It builds your interpersonal skills. In class, you learn knowledge, but in clubs, you learn how to become a person.
Read more about the Class of 2024 and the impact of the Kessler Scholars Program, or connect with us at info@KesslerScholars.org.