Belén Pérez Wicht

In this episode, I sit down with Belén Pérez Wicht, a first-year UC Berkeley student double-majoring in environmental engineering and business. Belen shares her journey from Peru to California, reflecting on how her recent experience with the Baret Scholars program fundamentally reshaped her perspectives on life, success, and ambition. We dive into the competitive culture of elite universities, the profound difference between a "have-to" versus a "can-do" mindset, and the power of finding abundance and creativity within daily routines. Key Takeaways: • The Berkeley Pressure Cooker: Belen discusses navigating a highly competitive university environment where students often define their self-worth by productivity, and why she consciously chooses to prioritize fulfillment over sheer output. • The Power of "Can" vs. "Have To": Drawing from a neuroscience lecture on class attendance and human psychology, Belen explains how shifting from obligation to capability removes limits on what you can achieve. • Unlearning at the Ashram: Belen shares a pivotal moment from her travels in India where an 80-something-year-old woman at an ashram completely reframed her deep anxiety about college admissions into a lesson on trust and peace. • Creative Pillars & Expansion: From keeping massive, collaborative travel journals to exploring photography, Belen highlights how staying connected to creativity helps her stay grounded despite a heavy engineering workload. Follow Belén on Instagram @belen.perezwicht and on LinkedIn (  / belen-perez-wicht-b012a1277  ) . If you enjoyed the episode, please hit FOLLOW and give us a 5-star rating. You'll never miss an episode, and others will find us more easily. Also, please tell your friends about it. If you have any specific feedback to help improve the pod, please leave it here (https://forms.gle/QaLL86Rs8F9x1ksr7) . To learn more about me, have a look at my website (https://www.jasonpatent.com) and / or follow me on LinkedIn (  / jasonpatent  ) .