It’s true that Harvard University is often mentioned in many films and television shows. Whether it's Paris Geller from Gilmore Girls passionately pursuing Harvard College, or Elle Woods living her bright pink life at Harvard Law School, or even Love Story, where the two protagonists playfully fight in the snow in Harvard Yard. 

In my three years living at Harvard, it has felt like a school where picturesque moments happen. As a second-semester junior at the college, I want to relate a film to each academic year I've been at Harvard.

Freshman Year: My freshman year was filled with excitement and anticipation. Every day was different, and something new always happened. I made new friends in Annenberg, the Yard, and my classes. Freshman year was special because certain traditions and classes, like Expos and the first-year formal, were reserved just for freshmen. Because everything was new, I made mistakes and learned from them. The hurt from those mistakes was good because it meant I cared. I cared enough to learn from them and tried to become a better version of myself. I found interest in and tried new things, discovering passions and friendships in unexpected places. That is why I chose Dead Poets Society (1989) as my freshman year in film. Dead Poets Society is a coming-of-age film set in a New England high school, where students, through a new English teacher, discover new passions, form new friendships, and pursue what they love without judgment. The shared New England setting of Harvard and the movie carried a sense of excitement and a comparable atmosphere. The students live by the idea of Carpe Diem (Seize the day), and as freshmen, we did too.

Sophomore Year: Sophomore year, I moved into a new house, a new community, with old and new friends. It seemed to go more smoothly with a year of experience, and I had gotten used to the college academic curriculum and standards. It was also the year I declared my concentration in Government and Economics with a secondary in Theater, Dance, and Media. I found my place and slowly started to grow confident in my passions. My favorite Pixar film of all time is Ratatouille (2007), and I believe my sophomore year was much like Remy navigating and surviving Paris. Remy knew he didn’t just want to cook; he was meant to, and during sophomore year, I started to gain an understanding of the direction I wanted to pursue. Although I was still figuring out how to get there, it was starting to become clear.

Junior Year: Junior year has been going well. I sincerely enjoyed junior fall because, for the first time, I tried new things while meeting new friends through theater, another passion of mine. I worked on and am currently working on Harvard Radcliffe Dramatic Club’s musicals and plays, and I realized how much I loved working behind the scenes. I grew up a cast member, but working on staff made me realize there is so much more to it. I learned so much and came to understand that there's more in this world where we can discover our passions and life goals. A show is more than just the acting, but there are so many aspects that keep the musicals going. This is why Little Women (2019) is my junior year film. I specifically relate to Jo March because she believes there much more she can do. She makes me think that anything is and will be possible if we continue having hope and living our lives to the fullest. My junior year, right in the middle of my Harvard College journey, has given me hope to continue working hard and to be grateful for the things I have. If I continue doing what I love, anything is possible.

Senior Year (Hopefully): I think senior year will be bittersweet. I don’t know what will happen, but I expect I'll feel sad with the same excitement I felt as a freshman. Life is like a race; I am constantly running a marathon, and Harvard College gifted me the best sneakers to continue running toward my goals. It has been the support system through professors, Faculty Deans, staff, friends, and family that has given me the encouragement and strength I needed to finish this journey. I hope my senior year will be like Back to the Future (1985), where I will look back to understand where I came from. I will be reflecting on who I was as a freshman and recognizing how much I’ve changed. Just like Marty McFly when he was sent to the 1950s and began to understand and appreciate his life in the 1980s, I hope to better understand and appreciate my time here. When it is my last day as a senior at Harvard, I will reflect on where I started and realize how each moment has shaped me, knowing that the future is not yet written but is a blank page ready to be filled.