A Bucket of Tears

I can’t believe that I arrived at my first ILC dinner event 10 minutes late! My father took too long getting ready and we didn’t get to leave the house until 5:15 PM. Every Brown ILCer was expected to be at the El Cerrito Plaza BART station by 5:30 PM. It took a while to get from my house to the BART station. It was probably the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to me this year. Mr. Ramsey wasn’t very happy with me, but I couldn’t do anything about it. I ended up shedding a few tears because my dad wasn’t being very supportive. A mix of anger and embarrassment took over me. All I could think of was how to fix this and the solution was to just put it behind me and start over. Thanks to Don, Jackie, and Romina, I was able to compose myself before our train arrived at San Francisco.

The dinner was at Boulevard restaurant. We walked two blocks from the Embarcadero BART station. The ILC did a great job in selecting the restaurant. We had a private dining hall in the basement. For about 10-15 minutes, the Brown ILCers had a chance to mingle with Brown alums, incoming students, and other ILC supporters.

Me and my dad at dinner!

My dad and I were seated in a table with Molly, her dad, Emily Cain, her mom, and two Brown alums Anne and Peggy. I was seated right next to Peggy, and I really enjoyed her company. We talked so much that I was able to forget that I was crying on the way to the restaurant. She made college seem so fun! Well, she made Brown nothing less than amazing. I learned a whole lot about Brown. First, we talked about how much freedom college offers, especially in Brown, since it offers an open curriculum system. We also talked about the admissions process. It turns out that applying to Brown all depends on luck and where you fit in the institution. They aren’t too strict about an applicant’s academic achievements or SAT scores, since most that apply generally have really high grades or test scores. It all depends on the essays they read and who fits in the classes they offer. Of the 30,000 applicants each year, only about 1,400 students get a spot. I plan on taking this risk because Peggy really pumped me up for Brown University.

Madeline Kronenberg opened up the planned program for the evening. She had the ILCers and the alums introduce themselves to the guests and had them say an interesting fact. Just a few minutes before, though, Peggy and I were talking about my life back in the Philippines. I told her that I learned how to speak English by watching the Disney channel (True story!) so when it was my turn to introduce myself, I concluded that as my interesting fact. After everyone introduced themselves, Simon Hong talked about a wonderful mentorship program that we will have a chance to participate in. Next, Andrew Gonzales, an incoming freshman at Brown spoke about what the ILC meant to him. I was surprised by how eloquent and entertaining he was. Nick and Abigail then spoke about what they wish to give back to the community after their programs. Abigail touched my heart, she was very passionate about what she wants and I felt touched as she started off with a nervous tone and finished with a strong conclusion. Nick also inspired me as he made me realize that WCCUSD has a chance in the real world. We will make a huge impression to the rest of the world, and nothing can stop us.

Mr. Ramsey gave closing comments and we then focused on our food. I don’t think I mentioned how delicious everything I ate was. Everyone at my table chatted the whole time. I don’t remember a dull moment at all.

My very first ILC dinner was overall a bittersweet experience. I didn’t think I would be walking onto a BART train with tears in my eyes, but I knew that I was going to make the best of the night. Last night, I learned that I am responsible for my own success. I can’t blame anything on anybody because in the end, I will be making my own decisions. I’m more than happy that I was able to turn my emotions around because if I hadn’t, I would have missed such a huge opportunity that can potentially shape my future.

Now, I will be getting ready for the ILC’s orientation. I will not be tardy this time!