Isabella Cuan's Experience with the Thouron Prize

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I never thought I would love a place as much as I love New York.

I grew up in a small suburban town in New Jersey, 60 minutes away from Manhattan. While many of my friends’ first New York “adventures” began in high school or college, mine began in elementary school. From a young age, I never thought I would love a place as much as I love New York.

That is, until I met the quaint town of Cambridge, England in Summer 2016.

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It doesn’t do this story justice to say that Cambridge is a beautiful city. There are many beautiful cities in the world, some of which I had the privilege to wander through aimlessly this summer. My story is not about Cambridge: the quintessentially old English city. It is about Cambridge: the place that became more than just an ideal backdrop for my studies, but an escape to another time and place; a type of time portal in which real life and dream life became inextricably intertwined.

When I received the Thouron Summer Prize in February 2016, every dream of mine seemed to instantly come true. But this dream of “studying at Cambridge” amidst many of the world’s greatest intellectuals was exceedingly abstract. It was not until the day of my arrival, when I was quickly submerged in the rich history and humble grandeur that is Cambridge that the abstract rapidly turned into an overwhelming reality—and I was entranced.

It is often difficult for me to articulate just what the summer meant to me. Even while I was there, my camera served as a better communicator than I was able to. From the unexpected familiarity of an unfamiliar place to the intimate way in which people and place coexisted, I developed a strange nostalgia—within days—for a place that was objectively still new to me.

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My fellowship experience gave me my very own table rasa; my very own blank canvas upon which I chose what to paint and how to paint it. In life, we frequently find ourselves being pulled in many directions. We don’t realize how many familiar routines or norms dictate our lives until those routines or norms no longer apply. Of course, this is not to say that these things did not accompany me to England; but the opportunity to craft a life in this new place with new people was exceedingly liberating and refreshing.

Cambridge quickly became my muse, from the city’s vibrant arts community (which I was able to appreciate every day at the market) to the University’s academic culture that prioritized learning for the sake of learning. The incredibly unique and insightful people I met through the Thouron Prize, from medical historian Dr. Richard Barnett to my fellow participants to the generous Thouron family, undoubtedly contributed to my distinct perception of this city. In a way, Cambridge—both as a tangible place and as a symbolic idea—became its own amalgamation of experiences, people, and thoughts. It became its own living entity, one that inspired and enabled me to be more curious, vulnerable, spontaneous, and alive than I had ever been. And one that became an important and inherent part of me, especially as I traveled back to the States and reflected on the impact my fellowship experience would have going forward.

And while that topic warrants an entirely separate discussion, I will say this:  New York may always be my home away from home no matter where I am in the world. But Cambridge showed me that the love we have for the world can often times be one of the purest and most unbridled forms we can find in life. And for this lesson, I will be forever grateful.

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[[{"fid":"780","view_mode":"rte_image_placement_left","fields":{"format":"rte_image_placement_left","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Isabella Cuan in front of lavender","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"Isabella Cuan in front of lavender","field_folder[und]":"1"},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"4":{"format":"rte_image_placement_left","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Isabella Cuan in front of lavender","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"Isabella Cuan in front of lavender","field_folder[und]":"1"}},"attributes":{"alt":"Isabella Cuan in front of lavender","title":"Isabella Cuan in front of lavender","height":"313","width":"470","class":"media-element file-rte-image-placement-left","data-delta":"4"}}]]Isabella Cuan is a current junior in the College, studying BBB and Art History. Before attending medical school, she hopes to return to the UK to pursue graduate studies in the medical humanities. She is Editor-in-Chief of Penn's fashion and art publication, The WALK Magazine, a writing tutor, and a volunteer at the United Community Clinic. Her personal photography work can be found at www.isabellacuan.com. 

The views expressed in contributed blog posts belong solely to the indicated author and do not necessarily respresent those of the Center for Undergraduate Research & Fellowships or those of the University of Pennsylvania.

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