Mitchell Lee: ‘I believe that in leaving Cornell, I should leave it better for the next Cornellians to come, and I choose to do that through sustainability’

Mitchell Lee 

Biological Sciences & Government 

Old Saybrook, CT 

Why did you choose Cornell?

From a family of scientists, I gravitated towards the sciences, but I always was drawn towards humanities and social sciences. Cornell, especially Arts & Sciences, had a curriculum where I was not required to take a specific class; instead, I had the freedom to choose from a diverse range of classes. I could both delve deeper into the sciences that I loved and explore new interests that I did not grow up with. That freedom and the opportunity to explore is why I chose Cornell.

What is your main extracurricular activity--why is it important to you? 

Since my freshman year, I have been a part of Cornell Environmental Collaborative and it's the only extracurricular activity that I continued for all four years. The club works to improve sustainability on campus by connecting students, clubs, organizations, and administration together. Combined efforts have a greater impact on the Cornell campus: improving sustainability is a slow process, but one that I find important. I believe that in leaving Cornell, I should leave it better for the next Cornellians to come, and I choose to do that through sustainability.

If you were to offer advice to an incoming first year student, what would you say?

Take things slowly and explore the vast array of opportunities Cornell has to offer. I rushed in, thinking that I had a plan, and that is not a bad thing. However, I slowed down my sophomore year to look around me and I discovered interests and passions I did not know that I had. So definitely take time to find your own passions and then use the opportunities at Cornell to explore and expand them.