New York, Are You Ready?

Junior year is finally over and the refreshing days of summer await me. About this time last week I would have probably been at one of my Forensics Speech and Debate meetings after school, but now I'm packing for my trip to New York City to take a Presidential Powers course at Columbia University! 

Before I began packing, I checked my grades online on powerschool.wccusd.net and I was relieved to see that I had yet another set of straight A's this year! Throughout my high school experience, I always chose to take the hardest classes offered at my high school, and now that I'm a junior I was able to take advantage of a broad variety of AP courses. Out of the six classes I took the past two semesters, I had 4 AP classes, 1 honors, and one regular college prep course (physics, since that was the only physics offered at my school). As you can tell by my blogger page, I truly enjoy challenges and I always welcome them with open arms because in the end, emerging victorious from a challenging curriculum means much more than taking the easier way out of things and taking short-cuts. Even if you don't do as well, at least you tried your best and stepped out of your comfort zone to push yourself and possibly this time, learn more from what you did wrong than what you did right. That's my philosophy. After all, a smooth sea never makes a skilled mariner. 

Anyways, after seeing my grades, I became really happy and the feeling that I had succeeded fueled my energy and excitement for my future trip. I cleaned my room and with the help of my dad, I took one of our empty luggage from the garage and placed it on the floor ready to be filled. I haven't quite gotten around filling it quite yet, but I have prepared a list of necessary materials that I must pack and tossed in a few of my basic necessities in the luggage. In preparation for our trip, I went to CITI bank a few days ago and filed for an ATM card (which I received just yesterday morning) and ordered a few prep books online so I can possibly study for upcoming SAT subject tests or other tests of the sort in my dorm whenever I might have free time. To be honest, It's been only four days that I haven't had school but each day so far has been swarming with busy activities. I'm determined to finish a lot of my summer duties before I leave for Columbia so once I'm in New York, I can focus more on my studies and dedicate myself to the best of my ability in order to take more advantage of what Columbia has to offer. I'm almost halfway done with my summer assignments, and I'm starting my application for a cabinet position in Junior Statesmen of America. Once I have completed everything on my "to-do list," I will finally feel at ease and finish packing. After all, we still have plenty of time!

Regardless of that, I'm so excited! It's almost hard to express my feelings about this because I feel like there aren't an adequate amount of words to portray my sentiments. Likewise, I can't believe I'm going to study for almost an entire month at Columbia University! This all feels like a pleasant dream and I cannot wait to fully take advantage of the opportunities that await me. Although I will definitely miss my family when I'm gone, I can safely say that on the night of June 17th, the night before we leave, I probably will not be able to sleep due to my excitement for this trip.

In just 5 days, I will be able to witness, encounter, and best of all, experience a whole new life; new places, new people, new perspectives, and different cultures. And to this, I truly look forward to.

Now on a different note, I realized on one of my previous blogs where I mentioned all the sites I look forward to visiting, I forgot to mention one of the United Nations headquarters in New York. Since I'm planning to start our schools very first UNICEF club on campus, I think it would be great to visit the center, if, of course, my schedule allows us and it's okay with both my chaperon and cohort. If we are permitted to visit the center with our cohort, I think it would be a very rewarding experience.


New York, I hope your ready for our students, because the clock is ticking and Ivy League Connection representatives will be there in just a few more days.

Well, That's It

Yesterday, we had an Orientation with the whole ILC. Every student, along with one parent, met together at the Pinole Middle School (PMS) Auditorium at 6:30 PM. I actually live only a block away from PMS, so my father and I arrived ten minutes early. We sat down with other Pinole Valley High School (PVHS) students and their families, looked over the flyers that were on the front desk, and waited for the presentation to begin.

Pinole Middle School

Charles Ramsey, Madeline Kronenberg, and Don Gosney spoke to us on what's to be expected of us before, during and after our trips. A lot of their emphasis was on the importance of punctuality; as Don Gosney put it, "A plane will not wait for you." This is especially true for the Columbia cohort, because not moving fast enough could mean getting left behind on the subway. They also reminded us that this trip isn't just for us. They send these 42 students, in the hope that many of the other 25,000 in the district can vicariously experience life at an Ivy League School.

Next, Don Gosney gave us a presentation on what we will need to bring for the trip. Many of the items we need for everyday life will either be supplied by the school or should be purchased after arrival, so Don focused on what we'll put in our suitcases. If necessary, we can borrow most electronic devices and accessories from the ILC, but there is a limited supply.

We eventually broke into individual groups for each school. Ms. Lilhanand gave us our itinerary for the trip, as well as a memo from Columbia describing what our living arrangements would be. One of the colleges that we'll tour this summer is Vassar University, so two students from there came to talk to us about the curriculum and campus life. It seems that Vassar has a very accommodative system with few required courses. Each major is adaptable to a students interests, however specific they may be. When the students were done, Ms. L spoke to us once again about the importance of maturity and responsibility while at Columbia. We must keep up a good image at all times. The last thing that the ILC wants, is for us to give the district and our fellow students a bad name. 

When we were done with our group session, we met once again in the auditorium for the closing statements.

Well, that's it. This was the final gathering of the ILC before we start taking off for our schools. The next time I post a blog on here, I should be in New York, with all of my words garbled from jet-lag. It's weird to think that in only two and a half weeks, I'll be there. We've been building up to this for so long that it's kind of unsettling to have it so close. Maybe it won't hit me until I'm actually off the plane.

I think what I'm most excited about are the people I'm going to meet. I heard someone say that about 30% of the students in the Columbia program may be international. Odds are, my class will be very diverse. I like the idea of that. I'll be in a room with people who are literally from all over the world, but who are all here because of a shared interest: Constitutional Law. Through class time, study sessions and Resident Adviser led trips, I'll get a chance to make friends with people who I would never get to meet otherwise. 

I'd like to once again thank the ILC for this opportunity. It means a great deal to me to be able to spend my summer doing something so exciting. I understand that a lot is expected of us, and I'll do my based to make my my school, my district, my family and my friends proud.

Hillary Step

Last night, the 42 ILCers from around WCCUSD gathered together in Pinole Middle School's multi-purpose room for an orientation about our trips, the final step before we board our flight at SFO on June 18th. 

The night began with speeches from Madeleine Kronenberg and Charles Ramsey regarding expectations of all of us over the summer; each of them emphasized some of the do's and do-not's such as always respecting your chaperons and always, always representing the West Contra Costa Unified School District with class and with the dignity that admissions officers, professors, chaperons and our families expect out of us. Ms. Kronenberg told us that this was not a prize, but a privilege that we earn on a day-by-day basis, much more like a job. We would be representing not just ourselves and our families, but the entire Ivy League Connection and the WCCUSD as well. Next, Don went over some of the tools and accessories we will most likely need during our time away and reminded us all that these would be "loaner" items, not gifts.

After their speeches, we were broken up into our cohorts, and Mrs. L, the six of us and our parents were sent to a room a few doors down the hall from the multi-purpose room. Mrs. L went over a lot of Columbia specific information, such as the fact that we will not need to bring pillows or bed sheets with us to New York (giving us more room in our luggage) and possible issues such as a high percentage of commuter students attending the program (some of these students might invite us to their houses, but we won't go). We were also given our trip itinerary, and I have to say, it felt fantastic to see on paper all the things we would be doing. The day after we arrive in New York, we'll be boarding a train to Philadelphia first thing in the morning, having lunch with a UPenn admissions officer(s?) and then taking a tour of University of Pennsylvania. Somewhere in that schedule, we'll also visit Independence Hall, and, to make a long story short, we'll have a packed schedule with tons to do.

Of course Mrs. L also reminded us, that, even though no one in the Ivy League Connection has anything to complain about, we do have it a little better off than the other groups, being in New York City. One new rule Mrs. L told us about was a new rule about cell phones - that you could not have your cell phone out at any ILC activities. She said it was disrespectful, and honestly, I could not agree more. I see far too often that people, myself included, are glued to screens when there are so many more things to see and so many more conversations to have.

While the orientation was simply a step to inform us, it meant so much more to us to have gotten past this final step and being only a few away from boarding a plane to New York. This may be a somewhat strange analogy, and I can't really explain why it just popped into my head a few minutes ago, but I compare the feeling of completing the orientation to the feeling of climbers on Mt. Everest having just climbed past the "Hillary Step," the final obstacle before the summit. Between the Hillary Step and the Summit lies a stretch of only a few hundred feet without any major obstacles, a comparatively easy distance to climb after having ascended 29-thousand-something feet. This is where I feel we're at right now. After applying more than 4 months ago in January, we are a mere 18 days away from boarding our flight to New York! Sorry for the random analogy, but however weird it may have been I find it is fitting.

Anyway, I cannot put into words how excited I am for this trip, and I know we are all counting down the days until we leave. And exactly 17 days from now, at 4:30 in the morning, we'll saying goodbyes and boarding the airport shuttle!

Also, I acknowledge that Mrs. L told us today we needed to work on improving our time management (so that we can eliminate the 4 AM blog posts), and today I can safely say that I handled my time well, I am simply overloaded with work. Thankfully, though, I have 5 days of school left, and after that, I can devote all of my time to the amazing opportunity I've given of going to New York this summer to study Constitutional Law.

"I Watch Them Blossom" -Mrs.Lilhanand

"I watch them blossom," Mrs.L said referring to how she watches us and realizes every single day how much we have grown academically, emotionally, built confidence, learned to deal with stress, perfected our time-management skills, and became an all around better person. "You will realize that you are just as good, if not better, than the other students you meet from different countries around the world and different schools in the United States," she said.

Today was the Ivy League Connection Orientation at Pinole Middle School's multi-purpose room. I actually have a white board in my room that I write down all important dates as well as all my goals, and I must say it has been an exciting journey accomplishing all the tasks and attending all the ILC events. Each time I crossed out one completed event, I felt closer and closer to feeling the fresh, warm, New york air swerve across my body as I walk across the legendary halls of Columbia University. I felt one step closer to sleeping in the dorms of my proper residence hall, and staying up late nights diligently finishing my work to perfection. Now, as of May 31st, I must say it has been the most brilliant day me to arrive at the final step of preparation in regards to our trip. It is truly unbelievable that in just about two weeks, I will be a student at Columbia University.

At our orientation, Mr.Ramsey, Don, and Mrs.Kronenberg presented detailed speeches reminding us of why we are there and what's expected of us. Mr.Ramsey said, "You all exhibited talent and responsibility to be part of the Ivy League Connection, and we trust you." They all reminded us that this is not an average scholarship program, we are both representatives for the program and the West Contra Costa Unified School District, as well as successful representatives for all the children in our community and district. "25,000 individuals were not selected to go, YOU were chosen," said Mr.Ramsey. "Everything you do reflects on them, you serve not only them but your entire school district as a whole." This is a really tough responsibility that must not be underestimated. Later however, Mr.Kronenberg continued by reminding us that we have earned the right to be in this program every day, and it doesn't just end there. This right is earned every day even when we come back home. Such a program is for individuals who care most about not only their school, but their district, and their entire community as a whole. With the great college exposure granted by the Ivy League Connection, one will come back with renewed spirit and enthusiasm with participation in a program that is for the world, not jut for the United States (approximately 33% of students at the Columbia program with be from a foreign country). Last but not least, however, Don ended the speeches by telling us about the items we will need in the east coast and provided us with a list of potential items he can loan out to us.

After being reminded of such expectations, responsibilities, and our progressive achievements, we headed to designated rooms prepared for each individual program (such as Columbia, Brown, and Cornell) and participated in an hour long special orientation. There our parents received more information about our trip and almost every one there learned something new. All our answered in regards to our trip we're answered. Nonetheless, we also had speakers from Vassar University and a former ILC student that attended the Presidential Powers course to provide us with more information and insight. The orientation ended promptly at 8:00PM, right about the time my excitement towards my college adventures had fully rekindled.

As of now, my countdown begins. 17 days, 4 hours, and 42 minutes left.
Columbia University here we come!

Columbia, Here I Come!

Today, the Ivy League Connection Program had an orientation at Pinole Middle School.

The orientation began with the introductions of the Ivy League Connection's chaperones, followed by the speeches from both Charles Ramsey and Madeline Kronenberg. They spoke about the importance of making a good impression and how the way we present ourselves can affect a person's personal opinion of not only us, but on our entire school district as well.

As the chosen representatives of West Contra Costa Unified School District we are expected to act as the nature young adults that our communities raised us to be, and I, for one, am ready to exceed to expectations.

After all introductions and formalities were said and done with, it was Don Gosney's turn to speak. Don mainly focused on what sort of items we should pack during our trip. Most of them were pretty standard items, like a camera, bed sheets, and a towel; other things on the list, however, seemed a bit unconventional--like zip-lock and trash bags. However, when Don went into greater detail, everything began to make a lot more sense. In fact, I've cone to really appreciate Don's advice! For instance, you ever thought of using trash bags to keep your wet clothes from getting mildew everywhere? I certainly haven't--and I'd like to thank Don for the tip!

When Don had finished speaking, the cohorts, parents, and chaperones were then grouped together by their respective schools and assigned a classroom, where they would discuss their school's itinerary in detail.

When my fellow cohorts and I seated ourselves in our designated classroom, my chaperone, Mrs. L, passed out packets detailing our travel schedule and what we should expect our dorms to be like. We were even able to talk to a few students who gave us a clearer idea of what to expect. Two were from Vassar, another school that we shall be briefly visiting, and former Columbia ILCer!

I felt that today's orientation was really helpful and that I feel more prepared for my upcoming trip. It's really hard to believe that today was the Ivy League Connection's last major event before heading off. And it's even harder to that on June 18th, which is in less than three weeks, I'll be on my way to Columbia!

One Step Closer!

Tonight was the Ivy League Connection Orientation, the final event before cohorts go off to the East Coast for the summer. I could not be more excited about this. The orientation took place in the Pinole Middle School multi-purpose room. My mother and I showed up about fifteen minutes early to get acquainted and talk with other students and their parents.

Don, my dad, and Madeline really lead the presentation. They each spoke of the importance of the program and following the rules. This year the ILC is really stressing the importance of proper behavior and respecting your chaperone. To me, these rules are not hard to follow because the chaperone is the authority figure and it is important to give your utmost respect to them, as well as being modest and casting good impressions on all those we will meet on the East Coast. However, one would be surprised at home some break these rules. I am glad that everyone in the program seems to understand these guidelines and not break the rules.

Don also spoke to us about loaner items, and I winced when he said he lost 800 dollars worth of loaner items last year. I was happy because I turned in all the loaner items I used from last year and cannot fathom why people would not return them - they are called "loaner" for a reason and it is stressed to us many times that we are supposed to give them back. Once again, respect and responsibility play a key role.

After a brief introduction of all the chaperones, we broke into our cohorts and separated into rooms. Ms. L handed us our Columbia itinerary, which mainly included flight and train information. We were also informed that we will have eight dinners! While I have a true soft spot for expensive food and elegance (who doesn't?!), even I am nervous about this prospect. However, I am sure that my cohort and I will make wonderful and lasting impressions on the questioning admission officers who will be attending our dinners.

Beilul, who participated in the ILC last year by taking the Presidential Powers course at Columbia and will be attending Brown University in the fall, spoke to us about her experiences. While I could not relate to her about the course (I am taking Constitutional Law), I found her testimonial about the activities and campus life to be interesting. Miho Hayashi-Groves and her friend Alex even came to speak to us about Vassar, the school they attend and the school we will be touring during our time at Columbia. They gave us basic facts about the school, which made me interested in Vassar all the more!

The orientation really helped me to get more excited for our trip and really stress the rules and regulations that we will have to follow through. I think we will all have a wonderful trip and June 18th cannot came fast enough!

And the Countdown Begins..

It's so surreal to know only eighteen days lie between me and the Big Apple. This evening, the ILC had the annual orientation meeting on the whole do's and do not's of the program. But the resounding message during the whole evening is that, "this is not a prize, it's more like a job." The ILC does expect its cohorts to not only make what's best of their trip but to be able to bring back and share our experiences with the other thousands of students who were not able to have this opportunity that we have been granted this summer.

After arriving promptly at 6:30, my mother and I seated ourselves to wait for the meeting to begin. Ms. Kronenberg started off with a speech about being a member of the ILC as a privilege. The ILC is willing to give us what is deemed necessary over the summer as well as the actual program itself but this opportunity can also be taken away when we are not displaying the wanted image for the WCCUSD. After a few more words, the chaperons were introduced and then we dispersed into our respective groups.

During our group meetings, my excitement was once again rekindled when being reminded of the Big Apple. We received packets on our departure and arrivals on plane as well as our train traveling dates. We were advised again to open a Citibank account for easy access to money since there's one located on campus at Columbia. Also we received a packet on how Columbia university operates as well as what we needed to bring. Luckily for our group, bed sheets, blankets, and pillow cases are included, so we now have more space in our suitcases! Information on our projected spending and dinners were also said. The Columbia group will be attending eight fancy dinners with Ms. Kronenberg attending three with us.

After our group finished our discussion, the ILC assembled as a whole and said a few departing words. Mr. Ramsey once again congratulated us on making it this far. And now the countdown begins. T minus 18 days and counting!