I Am My Own Enemy

Its been a week now since my amazing Brown experience. This summer has definitely been one of the best because of the people I met, touring different schools, and learning things about myself that has not been clear to me. I am sad to say that this experience is only a memory now because I remember when I was living it day by day. From this great experience I have drawn out the skills that will help me from now on; mentioning my ideas, being socially active, and everyone has a story so I should always be capable of listening. Considering that this was my first time in the East Coast, the Summer@Brown program was a great kickoff. I would not have imagined it any different because of the qualities I gained and the vast amount of knowledge I gained from Kisa Takesue. Overall, the Women and Leadership class was a great easy for me to develop a new perspective about women and life.

The first week was absolutely great because of the colleges our cohort toured. I learned that all of these schools, Wellesley, Dartmouth, Brandies, and Harvard are amazing academically and have their own philosophy on learning. When I first found out I had the opportunity to tour schools my first instinct was, "For what, I would never get into any of these schools." Now, I say to myself, "Anything is possible!" Getting to sit down with current students, alumni, and admissions officer has given me a new perspective of East Coast school. Because of the Ivy League Connection I have the courage to apply to these schools. Visiting these schools have been mind blowing because of the students I learned from in a short amount of time and knowing that I do not have to know what I want to do with my life when I go to college. A major take back from these colleges is that even though I may not have it figured out yet, the pieces will fall into place as I find what I love to do.

The Women and Leadership has taught me so many things. I never thought of Kisa as the "teacher" because she was apart of the class, made my experience memorable through her involvement with the class, her feedback was very constructive, and I learned from other people as well. My peers taught me the value of listening and their outlook on life. I have never met a group so profound and passionate about what they were learning. From this class I was able to explore my own mind because of the challenges it created for me. I learned what kind of leader I am, my new found opinions, and that I am my own enemy.

The program challenged me to live like a college student. I was able to experience the food, dorm life, and most of all the students. Living like a college student had taught me that I have to make the best out of my experience. On the other hand, you aren't going to college for the luxurious dorms, you are going to college for an education. That being said, I did not let the dorms affect me as much.

Learning from peers, advice from Kisa, and support from the entire class I was able to create an action plan that relates to my own struggle. As a freshman in high school I always struggled finding my place and have been ridiculed for it. I wanted to bring my own experience to help freshmen comprehend diversity. From my observations freshmen often are pressured into drugs, gangs, alcohol, and skipping class to "fit in" or be "cool". I want to showcase the diversity among the freshmen class so the pressure of being "cool" is nonexistent. My first step is to get the administration on board with my plan and agree to move forward. Next I will be creating a survey where 9th grade students will address the problem they see within their own class and how do they think it can be fixed. Following will be a panel of students who have experienced the problems the 9th grade students have identified in the survey. Lastly, the freshmen class will be creating a quilt where they become united through their cultural and moral differences. In order to determine success, I plan to hand out evaluation forms where these students and staff can rate the experience, mention what I could have done better, and what they got out of this experience.

In retrospect, without the Ivy league connections Big Three this whole Summer@Brown would not have been possible. This summer has impacted my life vastly; the people I met, the things I learned about myself, new observations and opinions, and new grown confidence. Now that I am back in California I can implement my action plan and incorporate the skills I learned into my daily life. Most of all, I am going to tell people that they should really apply to the ILC because they have really opened my eyes and doors for me. In closing, anything is possible and I need to be my own best friend.

From the Parents of Ying-An Wang

Growth in Every Step with ILC

The first time we heard about the Ivy League Connection (ILC) was when Ying-An mentioned a school assembly regarding ILC toward the end of fall semester. His eyes sparked with some excitement and uncertainty. After some research, we all thought this would be a valuable experience if he could grasp this opportunity, a precious funded opportunity to study summer programs at Ivy League schools that we could not afford.

Over the winter break, he worked on the essays for the ILC applications. A willingness to trade off short-term play time for a life-changing rewarding experience was a hidden test embedded in the ILC application process, and we were glad that Ying-An made a wise decision.

The wait for the interview list was longer than expected (several days past the scheduled notification date) and created some anxiety. His hope level went from high to almost zero. Plucking up courage with preparation to face the reality of being rejected, he followed up with Don and quickly got a hopeful response. The interview list was not sent out on time due to some delay in the selection process. The delay resulted in only two days to prepare for the interview. It was somewhat a nerve wrecking experience for Ying-An, as this was his first interview experience and had only such a short time to prepare. He took up the challenge and did the best he could.

Even he was not satisfied with his interview performance, I was very hopeful in the waiting room because I knew he has always set a very high standard for himself. He was totally surprised when the selection result was announced. Regardless a long night, it concluded with excitement for the whole family. If not for ILC, he would not have been through all the essay writing and interview experience that he will eventually face when applying for colleges.

Along the way, he participated in the blog webpage design, gained blogging skills, was presented to the School Board, and enjoyed a fancy dinner and meeting with sponsors and Brown alumni. He learned that his responsibilities came with privileges given in each of the events.

During the four-week trip on the east coast, he completely soaked himself in all the activities from college tours, dinners with network resources, the biotech course, exploring campus and places, bonding with his cohort and meeting new friends. The whole experience has changed him. The immediate impression when we saw him at the airport was that he looked more confident. And he should feel confident as he managed to adapt to a new environment and take care of things on his own the first time being away from home for four weeks. He is now more enthusiastic about going to college. Ivy League schools and MIT that seemed unreachable are now under his consideration for applying. He is also more sure that biotech is the field he wants to pursue.

We would like to thank Mr. Ramsey, Ms. Kronenberg, and Don for the countless hours and effort they have devoted to ILC. We also want to thank Ms. Kaplan for taking excellent care of the students. We appreciate very much for the wonderful opportunity given to Ying-An. There is no doubt that the whole experience has expanded his knowledge, broadened his perspective, and enriched his life experience. This experience has also prompted him for self discovery. He has striven for excellence and might have set a high bar for himself. By recognizing that not every thing comes easily, he will work harder, improve, and grow.

From the Father of Kelly Xi

I might be the last one of all the parents to write, but not the least to appreciate the ILC program. It was Kelly's second time to go. I was a little bit disappointed to know that she was not even selected in the first round. When she was called for the interview, I did not have too much confidence if she could make it to the final. I tried to comfort her by telling her that it is fair to let other kids have the same opportunity. She surprised me again with her well rounded preparation and confident presentation in front of the board members. Since Kelly already had her experience from last year, I was not worried for her at all for her 4 weeks away from home. I tried not to call her and let her handle things independently.

By the way, kids were together with the two most wonderful chaperones. Why should I worry? To tell the truth, I did not have the time to read all she wrote everyday, but I tried to make sure that she wrote everyday. As she was always a last minute person, she managed to write and post except missing a few times for some reasons. It is fair to say that she is much better this year in terms of keep writing her blogs. She is obviously more mature and confident.

The ILC experience really prepared the kids well for college both academically and mentally. By reading her last long blog, I am very impressed and proud of her idea to plan mock interviews to prepare other students for the ILC. I noticed that she uses the word "community" more often these days since she's returned. In my mind, when the kids learn to appreciate or give back what they received to their community, they are getting mature. A few years ago, we moved to Hercules from Davis and I thought we made a mistake for the kid. For the past two years, I actually feel lucky to have moved down here to live in the West county. Our school district has done an excellent job to overcome the disadvantages financially and geographically. They have worked so hard to unite the local businesses and community, to create such a wonderful program for our kids. When I proudly talk about our school district to my colleagues, they showed their envy in their eyes. I have not heard any other school district with similar program.

When I talk about our school district, I always mean the strong leadership from Mr. Ramsey, Ms Kronenberg and other board members that I could not name them individually, the generous sponsors and Don and all the staff involved. I really admire Don so much for his dedicated works. Please don't forget that he is a volunteer for us. He has done more than any of parents did. Mr. Ramsey really set a good sample for the kids and the parents how to follow the rules. I like the chaperones because they acted like parents, babysitting my smart but hard-headed teenager.

The party was over especially for Kelly. She is going to college next year. I don't know where she will end up. But I want her to realize that she might be smart but somebody else created the chance for her. She has to appreciate all the help from others and to give back to the community some day. 

Finally, I wish more kids from our West county will benefit from this unique ILC program. No matter where you go, be proud of where you are from.

Million thanks again to the people that I mentioned above and not mentioned but involved. You all are great people!

Side Xi

From the Mother of Nick Shebek

Our son, Nick heads to Brown: Insightful Rising Senior Returns

Junior year at El Cerrito High for Nick seemed to require better family communication skills than prior years; there were school and club sports practices that still required rides; college admission tests to schedule, classes to juggle, and Ivy League Connection deadlines to track. Things seemed to go relatively smoothly; and we were glad when Nick was selected for Brown's macroeconomics course; an area of study which we thought he might find to be a nice combination of practical knowledge and mathematics, located in the heart of New England, where Nick would love to attend college.

My husband and I both grew up on the East Coast, and the opportunity for Nick to become more familiar with the pace, the lifestyle and the humidity should serve him well. The Ivy League Connection deadlines were going by quickly--we had met with the chaperones and cohorts at a casual potluck dinner at the high school; we had carpooled to the blogging training session, we had a moment of anxiety when the School Board meeting might have conflicted with a post season varsity baseball game, but all was on track as we boarded BART for our dinner at Boulevard with Brown alumni, School Board members and ILC sponsors. Nick was going to be speaking that evening; and was very entertaining with his pre-dinner jitters en route to San Francisco. He did well; fit in a Boston Celtics reference and got a smile from many of the guests, and we enjoyed a great dinner. I sat between two recent Brown graduates; both of whom spent some of their professional career with investment houses; my experiences as a commodities trader when they were toddlers both dated me, and provided a bit of a common language.

As I learned about Brown that evening, I saw that it fostered creativity and a strong sense of community. Soon after the dinner there were finals and SAT subject tests; quick double checks of the items needed list, and before we knew it, Nick was on his way.

The college visits had a huge impact; Nick was impressed with Yale, intrigued by Dartmouth, and thought Wesleyan might be a good fit for his younger sister when the time came. The opportunities to mingle with recent alumni and admissions staff further rounded his impressions of the schools. I think it's fair to say that Nick was blown away by MIT; besides its well-earned reputation as a top engineering school, Nick was glad its students were well rounded; that its humanities offerings were stellar as well. Meeting with alumni, Nick enjoyed their sense of humor, and glad to learn that majors weren't declared until sophomore year. On top of all of that, it is in Boston, home of the Celtics and the Red Sox; Nick is descended from a long line of New England sports fans. The one issue is that it is nearly impossible to be accepted, but at this time, Nick wants to apply.

On his return home, he set up his "mymit" account, read through the college materials that had accumulated in his absence, and seemed to be more focused and reflective. Nick enjoyed the macroeconomics course; it made him realize that if doesn't find his passion in engineering, there are other areas that will interest him. The pace of the class was challenging and in retrospect, he realized that Mr. Coleman had covered an enormous amount of material in just over two weeks. At the dinner at Mistral I suspect he already knew this was getting to be the end of a wonderful journey, and he enjoyed interacting with his cohorts as well as Brown II students and the alumni from the local prestigious schools visited by the various Brown groups. There was such a change in our son; he called more frequently than on other trips wanting to share insights he had learned about himself; joke with his sister about blog titles, advising her on the 'errors' of his high school career, encouraging to stretch herself in many directions.

For me, I've realized that there is now a whole new network of folks that I wouldn't have met except for the Ivy League Connection; I've made "linkedin" connections with young traders in the investment arena from Brown; I realized that when I reached out to an attorney in Hercules for a district-wide parcel tax measure initiative that he may have known Terilyn Chen as a mock trial attorney coach. Sure enough he did; Terilyn heads off to Harvard, he shared, a fact that was known to the other parents at the School Board meeting where Terilyn shared her Harvard interview experiences with the new ILC students.

The Ivy League Connection can be about more than opening WCCUSD students' eyes to the opportunities across the country; it can be about making connections locally. Coming from the East Coast thirty years ago, we had been envious of students who could study at the UCs for a fraction of the price. We had looked forward to taking advantage of California's university system for our own children, and frankly hadn't thought much of sending our children to the East Coast before the Ivy League connection reminded us that things change; and that now, WCCUSD students can stand out as talented contributors to a college campus in the Ivy League. I really believe that Nick's experience with the ILC has put him in a position where he will make an informed, intelligent and socially aware decision about where he is most likely to succeed in college.

We are so grateful for the ILC sponsors and team with the vision to keep all doors open for our WCCUSD students.

Thanks again, Karen and Pete Shebek

Translating Knowledge Into Action

I have only been home for a week since returning from my trip to the East Coast, but the trip is becoming less tangible everyday, and morphing itself into an eye-opening, inspirational memory that I will look back on for motivation when I need it. Although the trip is over in a literal sense,  I know that figuratively it is just gathering momentum - I gained so much from this experience both academically and socially that I will be able to carry over into my everyday life.  I now have courage to both be myself and improve myself. I brought back with me from the East Coast a more developed perspective on life, and a more open mind to the world.

My first week on the East Coast was incredibly valuable for me in terms of college. I learned so much from touring campus and conversing with both current students and alums; a few messages that I heard from multiple people will stick with me. One of these is that college is what you make of it. The Ivy League Connection has opened my eyes to the plethora of wonderful colleges that are out there for me; now is the time for me to take advantage of these opportunities and, once I decide where to go, make the best of my time there. I met many different students from multiple colleges on this trip, but one quality that they all carried was intellectual curiosity and a love of life. Intellectual curiosity. That is a phrase that I heard from someone at Dartmouth, and I think it's a really important quality to have going into college. I feel that I have developed this quality since taking Women and Leadership at Brown. I have a desire to continuously learn and grow that I didn't have before the trip. Meeting wonderful students from various colleges was proof to me that having a intellectually curious, open-minded perspective makes all the difference in the experience one has in college.

Another message that I picked up from a lot of people I talked to is that it's ok to go into college not knowing what direction you want to take your life in. Many people who I met told me that they switched their major several times before settling on one. This was important for me to hear, because I have so many interests right now that I am not sure where I want to take them all in the future. I've realized that college is an ideal time to figure all this out, and try new things as well to figure out my passions. One reason that I really like the idea of liberal arts colleges is that they encourage students to try out classes in lots of different types of subjects, even areas that the students won't necessarily major in.

From taking Women and Leadership at Brown University, I learned tons about myself as a leader and a person. Some of what I learned was unexpected, and contradicted how I have always viewed myself. I also became a lot more comfortable with who I am. This, I believe, is the first step to being able to change the community in which I live - I must first be comfortable with myself, and confident in what I believe. 

Through my classmates, I was able to see and understand the perspectives of other people, and to realize that not everyone views the world even close to the same way that I do. I learned to understand and respect views that may have been different from own. I also realized, however, that although everyone in the class came from unique backgrounds and had unique perspectives, we all had similarities as well. Included in these is the fact that we are all motivated to create positive change in the world in some form or another. 

Learning about leadership styles, practicing public speaking skills, and developing an Action Plan made me excited to return home and actually take action - to put everything that I learned into practice. I am motivated to make a positive difference in my community. 

In my Action Plan, I hope to become a part of already-existing trail-building organizations in my community, and help these organizations with their projects by bringing in volunteers from my high school to volunteer during trail work days. This Action Plan has a few goals. By helping build and maintain trails, I hope to create a place for people to work out and simultaneously enjoy the natural beauty of Northern California. I want to maintain the trails in such a way that they do not harm already-existing natural ecosystems, therefore respecting nature. By bringing in volunteers from my high school to help build trails, I hope to show more people that they have the opportunity to exercise and experience nature close to their own homes. In this way, I will make them more aware of the natural environment. Ideally, this exposure will help them learn to respect the environment more as well. 

Through this trip, I gained skills, knowledge, and perspectives that I will apply to all aspects of my life. I also discovered a motivation inside of me to continue to learn and grow as a person. I would like to thank everyone involved with the ILC who made this trip possible for me. 

It Doesn't Stop Here

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to San Francisco. We hope you enjoy your stay. The weather is…”  We’re finally home, I thought to myself as the plane touched down on San Francisco International Airport. I couldn’t wait to get off the plane and run to my family. But here I am now, almost a week later, sitting in my living room with the biggest desire to relive the past three weeks.

What those three weeks mean to me is unexplainable. I’ve been sitting in front of this laptop screen for over three hours. As you can see, reflecting on what I call “the best summer of my life” isn’t easy. There are so many things to say, so many feelings to convey. 

Let’s start off with how it affected me academically. Just the first week of the Ivy League trip, where we visited colleges and had dinners with alums, I was already changed. I never would have considered going away for college because I thought that the UCs around my area will be just fine, but now I want to aim higher and get into an Ivy League college. The ILC effectively exposed us to this new horizon by not only showing us how beautiful the East Coast is, but also by showing us how capable anyone from the WCCUSD is in getting in these schools. The endless information sessions with alums or college students made the whole trip more personal, which I tremendously appreciated. I don't think the Women & Leadership course was as rigorous as other Summer@Brown programs, simply because I felt that we had more classroom time and discussion activities than we had homework. But this doesn't mean that it wasn't a wake up call. It's definitely different from the work I was used to doing at home. The due dates and the different research assignments truly tested my time management skills. Did I mention I had to fit blogging about my whole day in between? I had to balance the time I was  given after class and before our curfew. I met so many amazing people form all over the world (literally) and it was easy to ignore my assignments and to go about Thayer St without worrying about them. 

In the end, I realized how important time management is. It's a skill that will get you far in life.  Being organized and prioritizing what is needed to be done in a day is something I will always try to do. It only amounts to a productive day! During the last day at Brown, I also realized how important blogging is. With what the Ivy League has given me, I don't mind doing anything else for it. Blogging, though sometimes annoying, is worth it. I found myself liking it. I found it fun to reflect on my day and what I loved (or hated) about it. I'm glad I was able to share the experience with people from all over the world.

Personally, the Ivy League Connection changed the way I think about myself. I found how important perseverance is. I gained confidence. I found out a little bit of myself along the way. I would have never had the courage to step out of California a year ago. I feel stronger and wiser. I faced the unknown and fortunately came back with so much more to offer the world. I want to help my community reach the heights the ILC helped me reach. Even if I do apply to some Ivy League colleges, and even if I don't get accepted, I'll be alright. Through the ILC, I learned that trying is all that matters. As long as I can say that I tried, then I'll be proud of myself.

Lastly, I want to thank the people who made this possible for me. Mr. Ramsey, Ms. Kronenberg, and Don deserve all the credit for the work they've put in for us. Without their perseverance, nothing would have been possible. I look up to these three because they've inspired me to take on something bigger than me. I can still remember tearing up during our huge dinner in Boston, where Mr. Ramsey talked about the ILC in front of everyone. I loved hearing him talk about it and about the WCCUSD because he doesn't look down on how "unprivileged" we are back home, but instead sees our potential. His passion for helping better where he came from.. that's something that I can't ever forget.

I hope to implement my action plan and impact my community just as much as the Ivy League Connection had impacted me. It doesn't stop here. I have a million more miles to go, but now I know that I have the ability to persevere through any obstacle along the way.

Action Plan: More Than Skin Deep

Our society today sets many unrealistic standards of beauty.  Society defines beauty as a “perfect” image: long hair, blue eyes, high nose bridge, full lips – you name it.  This puts young women like myself under a lot of pressure, which causes us to believe that makeup is an answer to attain these standards.  It is discouraging to know that many of the girls in my own high school cannot go a single day without wearing makeup.  This issue is very important to me because I strongly believe that it’s not only the outward appearance that defines one’s beauty, but also what is within.  It is understandable that girls use makeup to hide their imperfections, but how could they if perfection itself does not exist?

Being surrounded by plenty of insecure girls at school causes me to be quite self-conscious myself.  In a sense, society found its way to negatively impact me as well. I find myself worrying about my concealer, eyeliner, mascara, and lip balm on a daily basis. During the days in which I cannot find the time to apply makeup on my face, I become extremely worried about my appearance and how people would view me as an individual.  I grow afraid of what people would judge me as when I do not have any makeup on.  Something is wrong with this picture.

Throughout the Women and Leadership course, I’ve entirely broadened my knowledge of women in society and grown to be passionate about this topic. Consequently, my Action Plan is planted upon raising awareness. My goal is to hold a makeup-free day called “> Skin Deep” within my high school. I want to invite the girls in my school to participate by wearing zero makeup for one day. Whoever is participating will also be asked to wear a white t-shirt to indicate that she is a part of the movement. During this day, I hope to inspire and teach girls to rediscover their inner beauty and redefine their conception of beauty. The girls at my school desperately need to realize that perfection does not exist in any shape or form, so it is pointless to even attempt “perfection”. Girls should instead accept themselves as they are and appreciate themselves without feeling the need to alter their appearances.

 I feel that my Action Plan is very relevant, realistic, and feasible for all sorts of reasons. For one, I have an incredibly strong support system within my large network of close friends and teachers. Other resources that I will definitely make use of is my access to the Associative Student Body (ASB), a community service club called Interact, and De Anza’s girls’ volleyball team. During the first steps into my Plan, I will need to invite and recruit girls into my project. In order to do so, I will seek my teachers’ cooperation and ask for at least five minutes off of class time since I am planning to visit each class, one by one. This upcoming year, I will be ASB Director of Publicity, which is fitting because publicizing via morning announcements and posters proves to be effective. The Interact Club and volleyball team are also clever ways to find more supporters. Last but not least, my close friends have an amazing capability of spreading word around campus.  I will tell my friends, who will tell their friends, who will tell their friends.  Word of mouth is something I am certainly going to take advantage of.

The logistics of my Plan are challenging yet also very tangible.  I am going to give my team and I a project timeline of six weeks. The first couple of weeks will be dedicated to finding the resources necessary to perform my Plan effectively. This is the time to establish a form of partnership with my teachers and the organizations I’m involved in. Once I obtain these resources, I will be ready to move on to the next step: preparation. I am going to allow myself one or two weeks to further prepare my proposal, which will convince the girls to take on the challenge of my Plan. The proposal will include both a speech and PowerPoint.  I need to find a way to express my goals and opinions without insulting anybody in the crowd. Including logos, pathos, ethos, and pathos again will enable more persuasion and captivate my audience’s attention and interest.  Since this is a vital step to my process, it will be very important for me to be exceptionally detail-oriented and make use of my West leadership abilities.  The final phase of my Plan is publicity.  I plan to visit one class after another and deliver the proposal that I will have prepared for. I will specifically require all boys in the classroom to dismiss themselves during my presentation. This way, the girls would in a way feel more comfortable to admitting to their insecurities and other personal issues.  In addition to my proposal, I will send the girls daily reminders through the morning announcements and bulletin posters, which I will be in charge of this year.  I also plan to create a Facebook event in order to virtually organize a list of girls who are actually participating.  A Facebook event will allow girls to invite more girls, perhaps even outside of our school.  After two weeks of continuous publicizing, my Action Plan would then be ready for launching.

In every plan is a challenge.  Throughout the process of my Action Plan initiation, I feel that the greatest barrier blocking me from being successful is time.  As an incoming junior with three AP classes, two varsity sports, and millions of extra curricular activities, I am afraid that I will not find enough time to progress through my Plan.  Time management will definitely be key through this project.  I also believe that I have the capability to achieve my goals with a great amount of patience, passion, and persistence. 

I will ultimately consider my Action Plan a success if the girls (and boys) in my school are impacted not only on a physical level, but also on an emotional level.  Hopefully “> Skin Deep” will positively affect De Anza High so much that it becomes yearbook-worthy.  Who knows, it can even become an annual event that everybody will look forward to in the coming years.  My Action Plan may or may not to be a long-lasting legacy in my school.  It’s only a matter of trial by error – with a sprinkle of motivation.

The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mode but the true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives the passion that she shows. The beauty of a woman grows with the passing years.

- Audrey Hepburn