Hello Goodbye!

After settling in our dorms, we attended a brunch with Brown alums, current students, and the first Brown cohort. During our brunch each of us had the chance to talk to different alums and students. Mr. Ramsey did a good job in placing us where we sat. 

We (Ynah and Iris) sat next to Gerica, who is a rising senior at Brown, and Lizette, who just graduated a few months ago. They mainly talked admission and about their experience during Brown. She said if we weren't accepted to our first choice, that it is ok. We learned that the best way to handle it is to just leave it behind and keep moving forward with applying to other schools. She reminded us that all of our achievements will still bring success to our lives wherever else we decide to pursue our dreams. Unlike most other students we encountered, Lizette had her heart set in concentrating on urban studies. She never changed her major and that gave us a different perspective of selecting majors. If you're passionate about a subject, you should place all of your efforts into it. They claimed that life at Brown was exceptional. They loved that this college gave them the freedom to have a flexible schedule that allowed them to be successful in what they're doing while having fun. 

I (Molly) sat next to Irene at the brunch. Irene just finished her first year as a student at Brown University, and is in Providence over the summer to help one of her professors write a book. I know Irene because she recently graduated from El Cerrito High School, where I go, so it was fun and interesting to talk to her about her college experiences. She had a really busy freshman year - in addition to doing academics, she was involved in a lot of extracurriculars. I asked her about music, since that is something I am passionate about and I want to continue playing music in and beyond college. She participated in a chamber music ensemble in her first semester, and also has a friend who is majoring in music at Brown. Later, she pointed out some music department buildings to me as we were walking home from the brunch, so I will definitely try to check them out while we are here. I also talked to Irene about the women and leadership course, because she participated in it two years ago. In her view, the class was interesting academically and also emotionally demanding. A lot of interesting topics are covered, and a lot of discussion goes on in class. It sounds like the course also helped her with becoming more confident as a leader. Talking to Irene definitely made me look forward to our class even more. 

Maddie Giving Her Speech

Tayler Presenting Her Speech

When I (Maddie) found out I was speaking at the brunch three days ago, I was filled with fright. But I found myself unusually calm as I approached the front of the room. I think this unexpected calmness can be credited to the wonderful people I talked to before hand. As always, the students I talked to were friendly and happy to share their experiences at Brown with us. I talked to a student who had just graudated with a concentration in neuroscience (the field I’m most interested in). It turns out he also participated in a Summer @ Brown program when he was in highschool. He told me all about the requirements for a concentration in neuroscience and the benefits of going in to a growing field like this one. He also mentioned the many opportunities to work in labs as soon as your freshman year at school.  

Romina was seated in an awkward spot. (I should start talking in first person now.)  I was assigned a seat... but no table! Still, I enjoyed the company of Guy Sanchez's daughter, Lydia Sanchez. What's exciting about Lydia is she will be spending the next two weeks with the group during the Women & Leadership course. She's a rising senior in a high school within Providence. For a little bit, I also mingled with Louis, a Brown alumn and admission officer. I asked him why Brown was his ultimate choice. I was astonished to learn that he was actually accepted to many other prestigious schools such as Harvard and Stanford only to name a few. Noticing the shocked expression on my face, Louis explained that he decided to choose Brown because he felt that he can freely be himself at Brown without having to conform to his peers' standards. I appreciated this because it's extremely important for me to be able to stay comfortable around the people I'd spend four entire years with. I want my college to be not only my place of education, but also my second home. It's too bad that he had to dismiss himself for a prior commitment. Overall, Louis and Lydia were really amazing people!

It was sad to say goodbye to Brown I, but now it's time to say hello to our new roommates and the new knowledge we will soon obtain!