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Who Am I

About Me:

 I’m Jonathan Gur Itzhaki- an elite swimmer, creator, and someone who lives life fully. I’m obsessed with getting better, taking risks, and pushing myself to the edge of what’s possible. This page is everything that drives me: my values, my goals, and the skills I’m building along the way.




Values

Evaluating myself, my values, and my passions is something I do on a regular basis. I’ve been through so much in my life, and every challenge I came across taught me better about myself. This is why when I’m approaching such an assignment, I already know myself well enough to just know instinctively my opinions about it.


Value Cards Exercise

As part of the LIA101 class, we were required to do a quick activity in which we sorted cards labeled with different values (like honesty, courage, freedom) to identify which ones matter most to us. It helps clarify our personal priorities and guiding principles.

Here are the results for my top 5 Values:

My top 3 Values

Play

Excellence

Excellence

In my life I always tried to understand the meaning of life, and for a long time I struggled to find it. Nowadays I understand that there is no “true” meaning of life. The meaning of life is whatever you choose to give it. And for my life, I want to enjoy. I want to experience everything. Good experiences, bad experiences, joy, heartbreak, I want to experience it all!!! As one of my favourite author one said: “Life is a play, and if you don’t understand it - it means you’re sitting on the bench” ~ Phil Knight (Nike)

Excellence

Excellence

Excellence

I know that I can’t just sit in my office and be bored all day. That's not me. I've got to push myself, be excellent at what I do, and feel like my time actually matters. I want every action to count, every moment to have purpose. If I'm not moving forward, learning or creating something meaningful, I'm wasting energy. I need to challenge myself, stay sharp, and make my day reflect the level of excellent I expect from myself. 

Freedom

Excellence

Freedom

Since I was a little child, my mother wasn’t at home much and I developed the importance of freedom. I saw the effect it had on me, especially when I saw the difference between doing something you actually chose to do and doing something you are forced to do. The results are completely different, showing the importance of freedom in our life

Interests

 

Swimming is my life, but I’m also drawn to the things that challenge me and make me think. I’m fascinated by anything that pushes limits. 

I love exploring technology, learning science, mastering new skills, and learning how to improve myself every day. These interests shape the way I approach everything I do.

These passions keep me curious, sharp, and constantly growing.

Interests Assessment

 As part of the LIA101 class, we were required to do a quick activity called an Interests Assessment, where we explored different activities and careers to identify which ones we enjoy most. It helps clarify our personal likes, passions, and what types of work or hobbies suit us best.

Here are my results:

Skills

My Skills

Over the years, I’ve built skills that let me push myself to the next level. In the pool, in learning, and in everything I do. Discipline, focus, curiosity, and problem-solving are at the core of how I approach challenges and make progress every day.

My top 3 skills

1. Curiosity-  I have a deep curiosity about how things work and the ability to analyze complex problems. This allows me to explore questions thoroughly and design experiments that lead to meaningful discoveries.


2. Problem Solving-  I excel at thinking outside the box to find solutions, whether it’s designing a new experiment or approaching a challenge from a fresh perspective. Creativity fuels my ability to make impactful contributions in research.


3. Persistence and Focus-  I am dedicated and disciplined, able to stay focused on long-term goals even when progress is slow. This perseverance ensures that I can push through challenges and achieve meaningful results.

Career

Career Goals

My future career goals revolve around making a meaningful impact on the world- one of my core values. 

 I envision myself working in a lab, free to explore and research whatever sparks my curiosity. I see a future full of continuous learning, discovery, and the joy that comes from uncovering something new.

Where Skills Meets Impact

 My drive to understand the world around me shapes everything I do. I thrive when exploring complex questions, analyzing challenges, and finding creative ways to push boundaries. This curiosity, combined with the discipline to stay focused over the long haul, allows me to dive deep into research and pursue discoveries that truly matter. I see a future in the lab where I can follow what fascinates me, constantly learning, experimenting, and contributing in ways that make a real impact on the world.

Sharpening My Skills

 I know that curiosity and skill are only as powerful as the effort I put into growing them. That’s why I constantly challenge myself to ask bigger questions, take on projects that push my limits, and learn from every experiment and setback. I plan to deepen my problem-solving abilities by exploring new techniques, collaborating with brilliant minds, and experimenting with fresh approaches. At the same time, I’ll continue to strengthen my focus and perseverance by setting ambitious goals, reflecting on my progress, and maintaining the discipline to see each project through to its full potential. Every step I take is a chance to refine my skills and make a greater impact in the world I hope to shape.

Looking Ahead

 Looking ahead, I’m focused on building a future that aligns with my passions, challenges me, and pushes me to be the best version of myself. Swimming will always be at the center of my life, and I plan to continue pursuing excellence in the sport while exploring opportunities that allow me to grow both in and out of the pool. Beyond athletics, I’m interested in expanding my knowledge, taking on new challenges, and discovering experiences that shape who I am.

My goal isn’t just to follow a set path, it’s to create one, balancing dedication, curiosity, and ambition. Every step I take is about setting myself up for success while staying true to what drives me every day: passion, purpose, and the desire to make the most of every opportunity.

My Time Plan For The Next 4 Years

  •   Fall 2025: The Start
    Major: Neuroscience
    15 credits
     
  • Spring 2026:
    Change of major to Liberal Science, as a temporary major
    16 credits


  • Fall 2026:
    Continue with my temporary major.
    16 credits
     
  • Spring 2027:
    Choose my final major!
    By then, I will know better what I want. 16 credits
    It is important to note that during all my undergraduate years, I will be swimming.
    That means: less time to do an internship or study abroad, but I do get to travel a lot with my team and get to do what I love.
    In addition to that, I get 1 extra credit a year
     
  • Fall 2027:
    I will finally choose my final degree and specialty. I will narrow down the general studies and will only take courses to be an expert in my field.
     
  • Spring 2028:
    This is an important year for me. The Olympics are set to be in August of 2028, and from what I’ve heard, many student athletes take a semester off to focus on the Olympics and I will probably do the same.
    That means that I will have to restore my lost credits in the following year. 


  • Fall 2028:
    The following year after the Olympics, the goal will be to start an internship.
    I already saw some possibilities, but it is very dependent on my future chosen field.
    An example for an interesting possibility may be an internship in the “Fulton Undergraduate Research Initiative (FURI)
    It will allow me to experiment with “hands on” lab and I believe it will contribute a lot if I choose Engineering as my chosen field.

Copyright © 2025 Jonathan Gur Itzhaki - All Rights Reserved.

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