Fellow Spotlight: Music Thornton, Aneetej Arora, Grace Min, and Connor Gartin
January 19, 2025
This January, we asked some fellows-- Aneetej Arora (BLF '26), Music Thornton (BLF '26), Grace Min (BLF '27), and Connor Gartin (BLF '27)—about their upcoming goals centered around new beginnings and perspectives. These questions shed light on their new goals, resolutions, and overall mindset for growth in the new year.
What is one thing you're most excited about for this year, and how does it align with your broader vision for your future?
Music Thornton:
I am super excited to teach a 6-week program to elementary school kids, exposing them to STEM through LEGO sets! This aligns with my vision for the future because I have a passion for mentorship. By combining it with my passion for STEM, I know it will have a positive impact on the kids’ lives and broaden their interests in future education.
Aneetej Arora:
I’m most excited to continue building my understanding of machine learning and quantitative social science. It aligns with my future goals of pursuing a PhD, where I will conduct research on mechanistic interpretability and political misinformation.
Grace Min:
I’ll be traveling to Cape Town, South Africa, this May as part of the Fisher Global Consulting: Non-Profit program! I’m incredibly thrilled to broaden my cultural perspectives through this immersive experience, deepen my understanding of the consulting industry, and contribute positively to the non-profit community through tangible deliverables.
Connor Gartin:
I’m beyond excited to keep writing! I added a Creative Writing minor last semester, and I’m really eager to keep free-writing prose and poetry pieces. In my free time, I love going to coffee shops and writing with some nice music. Writing is like a form of therapy for me, and it helps keep me on track for my future as an aspiring poetry author!
What would be a "dream accomplishment" for you by the end of this year?
Music Thornton:
A dream accomplishment of mine is to travel to three different countries.
Aneetej Arora:
My dream accomplishment would be to publish a journal article. Another goal I hope to achieve is reading at least ten books across ten different genres.
Grace Min:
By the end of this year, one of my dream accomplishments is to learn a new skill or pick up a new hobby! Over the past few years, especially post-COVID-19, my interests have been pretty consistent, so I’m excited to try something new—maybe coding or knitting! It would be awesome to challenge myself and explore new ways to grow and stay creative.
Connor Gartin:
I’m a weightlifter who loves going to the gym! I’m working hard to accomplish a 315-pound bench press after hitting 225 pounds at the start of the year. With a fun and enjoyable workout split, plenty of protein, and support from my friends, I’m eager to push toward my dream accomplishment of a 315-pound bench press!
Looking back, what is one key lesson you learned last year that you plan to carry with you into this year?
Music Thornton:
You have to carry yourself like the person you want to be, and you’ll evolve in front of your own eyes.
Aneetej Arora:
One key lesson I took from this past year was how to reframe failure. What might’ve seemed like a failure at the moment taught me and prepared me for valuable future successes.
Grace Min:
This past year, I’ve truly embraced the belief that “everything happens for a reason” in every aspect of my life. Even during challenging times, I’ve learned to trust (through a lot of unparalleled optimism) that everything will work out the way it is meant to, even if it’s not what I originally hoped for. This lesson brings me a lot of genuine peace, and I plan to carry it through 2025.
Connor Gartin:
Being nicer to myself! Things don’t always go our way, and I’ve found it valuable to not beat myself up over the small things or those out of my control. I started journaling my feelings and sharing my interactions on Instagram (@minion_connor_gartin), which helped my mental health and gave me a strong support system. This year, I’m going to keep posting about my feelings to de-stigmatize conversations around mental health.