I knew that the Ivy League Connection was going to change my life, but I didn't expect it to completely flip it upside down. At the beginning I was very excited to apply and somewhat nervous of what the outcome would be. Looking back at it now, I am incredibly happy I decided to work my hardest to try to get in the ILC.
I heard about ILC through a presentation Don Gosney gave at my high school during my freshmen year. This piqued my interest and kept me interested until the upcoming year when I could actually apply to be a part of the program. When my sophomore year came around I was very excited to apply to such a prestigious program.
The writing process was not so difficult in my opinion because I had a teacher and a mentor helping me revise my essays and giving me feedback on what things I could improve on. When the deadlines came I was very anxious about whether I would get an interview. To my surprise I got an interview and got the scholarship in the end! This process helped me get used to seeking help from people that had more knowledge than me.
Everything after getting accepted was a blur. I filled out all the forms and turned them in and attended all the dinners with my father. I also blogged. This really helped get me acquainted with blogging because I had never done anything like it. It made my transition go smoother when I got to Rhode Island.
The time kept getting closer and closer until one day it was time to depart on our great adventure. I was very conflicted on packing. I kept thinking, "maybe I'll need this and this, but also this!" Packing was a bit of a hassle. This taught me that sometimes you won't need half of what you think you will. Also Googling the weather helped a lot with making informed decisions about clothing.
When we arrived in RI I was very surprised by how everything looked. It was so old and beautiful. I also learned that dorm rooms can be very disappointing. I will now do more research on the place I will stay in. What came as a shocker was that I didn't have a roommate. I was alone. After being sad for a day or two I realized that having a single was awesome. I didn't have to worry about the lights or disturbing them when they were sleeping. Being alone sometimes it is good.
Something that I will definitely share with my community is my Action Plan. This is one of the most important things I will give back. By creating a gender equality club in our school, we will ensure that our community is getting the same information we did from the hands of people that they can trust. I also want to bring the perspectives of everyone that are from different backgrounds. Hopefully with this my school/community will benefit and start movements on their own about issues that are important to them.
Over all, this trip was not only educational but also very fun and full of knowledge. I learned a ton about the concepts and myself. I also got to make many great connections and friends that I am sure will help me and Esme with things regarding our up coming after school club. I would like to Thank everyone that has made for this opportunity available to me and everyone in the ILC! Thank you very much!
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