A Milestone Event

This afternoon was the final orientation, the last time every participant of Ivy League Connection would come together before summer. When my mother and I arrived at Pinole Middle School at 5:20 PM, there was already a buzz of activity. We signed in and sat down at an available bench near the back of the room. A few volunteers passed out both a detailed packing list and sheet with pictures and descriptions of loner items.  After reviewing the basics of what was needed, everyone had arrived and it was time for the program to begin.

Mr. Ramsey started off by reminding us the importance of punctuality in a program such as ILC. The trip will only work if everyone is on time to everything.  Although we hear this a lot, it is the absolute truth. These words have prompted me to work on being punctual on a day-to-day basis in my own life. After Mr. Ramsey, Mrs. Kronenberg spoke about the impact ILC has on not only it participants, but the 25,000 others in our school district. With every privilege comes responsibility and we have a huge responsibility to both uphold and improve the positive reputation of our school district.

We then moved on to the logistics. Don spoke to us about nearly every item we would need. He went over the packing list with us and made sure everyone was on the same page about what to bring. Then the cohorts separated and moved into even more details. Thanks to Kat and Jackie, my family and I now have a packet laying out our itinerary on an almost hourly basis. I have an even better idea of what to expect and how to prepare for this summer. This event was the final step towards the reality of a summer at Brown. With each day I become more and more excited, it’s really happening: I’m going to Brown!