This has not only been an
investment of a month, but an experience that has been about seven months in
the making, ever since Don had made the trip to the El Cerrito High Performing
Arts Theater to host an informational assembly regarding the opportunities that
the Ivy League Connection can provide.
I was immediately interested in applying for the programs, as I have had
friends who had participated in various courses last year and had loved
it. At this point, Brown’s
Macroeconomics and Cornell’s Freedom and Justice were the two programs that had
attracted me the most, and that is where the journey had started.
“Explain how the ‘ban the box’
movement has affected the rights of convicted felons versus the rights of
employers and coworkers.” In
summary, my answer to this question was a turning point in my journey with the
ILC. After not being selected for
the Macroeconomics program, Cornell’s Freedom and Justice was the next course
where the essay was due for admittance into the interview stage. The “ban the box” movement was a social
advancement to eliminate a checkbox on the common employee application that
asks whether the applicant has been convicted of a crime in the past. My suggestion to revise the box and
develop a separate confidential document to elaborate on any past convictions
of an applicant might have seemed to be a deciding factor, as I joyously
received an e-mail inviting me to participate in the interview stage of the
process. After much preparation
followed by a successful 20 minutes in front of a judge panel, I was admitted
as a member of the Ivy League Connection.
Of course, along with all the
delight and relief that I was experiencing over the next couple months, I also
did not know what to expect going in.
Luckily, I had the support of friends, family, and even people that I
didn’t know but was so lucky to encounter, such as regional Cornell alumni. Through our dinners with past Summer
College students, including two friends of mine, and our luxurious dinner at
Prospect in San Francisco, I was able to gain the best insights on what my
experience on the East Coast will be like. I was so grateful for all the people that were able to guide
me along the way prior to our departure.
As much as I would love to retell
all the day-by-day events that we experienced between Philadelphia and Ithaca,
you have all heard it before and I could spend my time speaking of other
things. Our time in Philadelphia
was a great introduction to the East Coast. I was able to get to know our cohort, especially the
Hercules kids, and had a great time traveling by myself. The university visits have been extremely
beneficial; I was able to decide what I want in a college and, just as
important, what I don’t want. We
explored a great variety of schools, which shared many similarities and
differences even though they are all belong to the Ivy League. The University
of Pennsylvania stuck out to me as the most attractive, especially through the
campus visit and our tour guide’s ability to not only explain what the school
has to offer academically, but what activities and social life are present on
and off the campus, something the other tour guides did not explore in
depth. I have found out that a
suburban campus is my most preferable choice, but while visiting Princeton, and
later Cornell, I realize that a more rural campus has its advantages as well,
such as an active presence on campus.
In contrast, Columbia University had to offer not only a superior level
of academics, but also a lively off campus options in the heart of New York
City. Nothing better helped me get
a sense of a great college than our three weeks at Cornell though.
Summer College was a life
changing experience. In and out of
the classroom I learned a great deal of things. I am so grateful for studying under Professor Kramnick and
Ulas, they provided us with a level of education that could be found nowhere
else. Professor Kramnick was able
to revolutionize the way I will ever think about the topics of freedom,
justice, and equality, and has succeeded in steering the definition of
“lecture” away from “boring” for me.
Ulas has been an agent in my greatly improved writing, allowing me to
develop a clear and concise thesis especially. They have changed the way that I
think and have already identified differences within myself based on the
improvements that I have made during my trip.
I have also developed socially
through this trip. Along with my
cohort, I was able to meet so man new people who were all very friendly and
considerate. Learning about people’s
backgrounds and cultures fascinates me, and this course provided me with the
perfect opportunity to meet these people.
I am going to miss all those days downstairs in the Uris Library and
playing pool in the Robert Purcell Community Center with all these people that
I am unfortunately not going to be able to see again. The opportunity to make new friends from all over the world has
really been a valuable experience that made this program all the more special.
One of the reasons why this trip
was so memorable was thanks to our cohort. Our group was so cooperative and easy to get along with and
really made a difference in the success of this trip. As the journey continued we really started to behave like
family. In fact, according to the Cooperstown
Hall of Fame family membership, the seven of us are a family! I would like to
thank Mr. Chan-Law especially for his exceptional leadership and responsibility
throughout the trip; he was a great mentor and friend who stuck it through with
us during the extent of the trip.
In addition to my cohort, this
trip could not be made alone. I
want to send a second thank you to all of the Ivy League Connection administrators and
generous sponsors, especially Mr. Ramsey and Ms. Kronenberg, members of the
WCCUSD School Board, and Don Gosney, who does a marvelous job organizing and
keeping contact with all 40+ ILC students. Also Professor Kramnick and Ulas for delivering their
masterful level of education to us.
And Asher and Riley, our R.C.A.s who did the best job in making us feel
welcome at Summer College and provided a smooth transition into dorm life at
Risley. And once again to our
cohort, who made this trip all the more memorable. This truly has been a terrific experience that I will never
forget. I cannot believe how much
I have changed as an individual and how important this trip was for me in
determining my future. Though this
may be the end of a wonderful journey for me, the next step is to educate the
next generation of ILC Cornellians as they will make this trip on their own
next year.
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