Joy Cohen: Campus Celeb
Twitter: @littlejoys_
Instagram: jysgc
One of the reasons that I chose BU was because of the eclectic group of people on campus: there are artists, political activists, fitness fiends, various religious communities, and students from what seems like every nationality. When I first heard of Joy Cohen, I only gained a first impression which was that she was the sweet girl who would be the roommate of one of my high school friends. I was astounded when, over time, I realized that she was becoming extremely active on campus, across nearly every aspect of student life. Rather than finding one niche with artists, activists, or scholars, she was exploring them all.
If you were to meet Joy and ask her the typical getting-to-know-you questions such as, “What is your major here?” and “What school are you in anyway?” you would not receive a typical response. Joy is working towards an impressive major in International Relations with a concentration in Regional Politics and Culture Anthropology, specifically in the Middle East and North Africa. She chose BU not for the opportunity to study such unique topics, but rather because out of the array of colleges she applied to, BU was the only large city school with a College of General Studies, allowing her to still experience the perks of a small university.
Now that Joy is on this beautiful campus, she enjoys volunteering when she can, writing, doing PR, social media, and graphic design through a Hillel internship, and taking and editing photographs with her Nikon D3000 and Adobe Programs. She is a hard worker, taking classes during the summer and interning in the Financial District at a tech start up, doing social media work. Yet she never abandons her creative outlet, voicing that being an artist has helped her develop “a good eye.” Joy is possibly so involved in many aspects of campus because of her love of meeting new interesting people. She says, “especially since culture is a big part of my studies, being a part of such a diverse community (at BU) really means a lot to me.”
If you were to look for Joy at BU, you would most likely find her spending time with her friends on the esplanade docks, or deep within the confines of the Mugar library, “probably studying for Arabic,” she jokes. Most of all, she is a fan of the South End, visiting SoWa, and strolling through the blooming Boston Public Gardens.
When asked if she had any advice for the incoming freshmen who have yet to fully adjust, she advised to involve oneself in whatever could be considered an outlet. Perhaps most importantly, she suggests to “make connections with people who connect with you in something that you’re passionate about.”
Joy is truly a unique girl on campus (but sorry boys/girls, she’s taken!), and I cannot wait to see where her interests take her next.