ILC From Day One

I first learned of the now deeply familiar "Ivy League Connection" long before I heard Don's voice echo around my high school gym, and long before the slip of paper calling me to a presentation about the ILC compelled me to leave class despite walking out on a test I had studied hard for. In fact, it was the intrinsic prestige that the ILC already held in my mind which made me leave my seat and head down to the gym, kickstarting my long and life-changing journey with the ILC. 

When I did learn of the ILC for the first time it was during a different presentation, this one was a panel of El Cerrito Hischschool students talking to young middle schoolers like myself about what to expect for the years to come. A parent who must have known about the program asked the accomplished students before us if any of them had experience with ILC and I listened as several of them, many of whom I knew as the older siblings of classmates, held high as the gold standard of educational achievers, explained how they had applied but had not quite made it into one of the elusive spots. 

In that moment I was intimidated, if the talented group of high schoolers sitting before me couldn't seem to make it as ILCers, how could I? But more than that, I was left with a newfound determination, I just had to be one of those lucky enough to spend their summer across the country at schools of their dreams, and I knew I wouldn't pass up the opportunity when it came knocking on my door. 

Back to that day in the gym. As I wrote my email on that long list of others jumbles of letters and numbers, I silently thanked my dad for the sound advice years previous to make my address something I wouldn't be embarrassed by in the future. There is no way that I could have known what the coming months would bring. 

The first milestone was getting accepted for the interview. I remember jumping for joy in that same math classroom that I had left for the presentation, I had made it through the first hurdle. The interview presented a totally new challenge for me, being on the debate team I had tried persuaded endless judges of my side of a resolution, but never before had I been in the position of convincing people that I was the right choice. I knew how much I wanted the opportunity, but the prospect of convincing the accomplished panel that I should be one of the individuals chosen to represent my school, my district, and my community, terrified me. 

I remember feeling like I was holding my breath as I walked into the room. Don explained that these people only wanted to see us succeed, and yet as my professor at Vanderbilt would say, communication anxiety as a powerful beast, and I didn't start to feel myself relax until I got to talk about the issues that really matter to me right at home in WCCUSD, and within the hallways of my own school. Talking on those subjects made me feel like I could show the judges who I was and be my genuine self with the nerves holding me back. 

Before I knew it, Don was reading those that would make up the first members of the 2018 ILC cohort and my heart flooded with joy and excitement at each passing name. 

Earlier that day Ana and I had been in one of our school bathrooms, changing into professional clothing to put our best foot forward, assuring each other that if even one of us made the cut we would be over the moon, we didn't even entertain the idea that we could both do it. 

When our names were called, we hugged each other tightly and scurried out of the room into the hallway, met with two more faces bearing smiles that mirrored our own. It was Anna, the girl who I learned I shared a birthday with, and Hawi, the one who invited us all to join in a tension-breaking game of cards as we waited for our time to go before the panel. We wasted no time in hugging them too. I felt like I was walking on air for the rest of the night, so grateful to be a part of the ILC and eager to learn more about the girls who made up team Vanderbilt. 

Our first time meeting after the interview

Over the next few months, we got to know each other and Blogger through orientations, informational meetings, and endless photo sessions with Don behind the camera, and as the trip edged closer my excitement grew. 

Before we departed I learned  a new kind of responsibility, as I applied to the ILC, prepared for my interview, and later applied for VSA, I kept my parents updated but knew that as part of the ILC I am adult, in charge of making sure that I do my part for myself and for the opportunity that I was given. I kept learning as I proofread blog posts searching for small mistakes, checked my emails daily to keep up with the necessary flood of information, and got myself ready to take off for Nashville. 

While at Vanderbilt I learned that I can, and in fact want, to go to school far away from home. While I valued my contact with friends and family back in the Bay Area, I found myself relishing the change of environment. The new people, place, and college-esque lifestyle, even with its close supervision and strict rules was thrilling, and I soaked up every second. College now feels much more like an attainable part of my future than the just a far-off lofty goal. 

Learning in class

I learned about the magic of living in the same space as amazing new friends, and at the same time about the importance of giving yourself time to recharge. I am used to balancing my social time with schoolwork and other responsibilities, but taking a break for the sake of taking a break was new. 

Shenanigans in the dorms

I learned so much about the process that lands you living in college dorms for more than just a few weeks, and about what I want in a school, that I had no idea of before our trip, and could not have found out without the experiences provided by the ILC. I returned with a new sense of direction as I wade into the spooky swamp that is the college admissions process. 

I met people who I will treasure for the rest of my life, who taught me about strength, compassion, and the power of love and open-mindedness. I will carry the lessons gleaned in and out of the classroom with me, determined to share all about my experience with the ILC, at Vanderbilt, and in Pennsylvania, to shout from the rooftops about the wide world of possibilities that lie within our reach. Every student in WCCUSD deserves to know all of their options when approaching higher education, and while that may be close to home, it may also be somewhere far away that either seems impossible or just hasn't been within their scope. The ILC aims to let more kids see what is out there, and I know it has done that for me and the other girls, and for everyone, we are able to share with. 

Thank you ILC

Being part of the ILC has made me feel like I am in the driver's seat, in charge of my own future and ready to make the most of the road ahead. 

How ILC Changed my Life

The first time I heard about the Ivy League Connection was from my older sister who was invited to the interview session twice. As my sister went through the process, all I knew about the ILC came from the name, which I deduced as being honorable. When I entered high school, I learned about the program from posters and intercom announcements, I knew I wanted to apply. There was a mysterious glory in being a part of the Ivy League Connection, a prestigious and exclusive air. I knew who the  ILCers were from the faces on the posters and reading through blogs and when I saw them walking through the hallway I aspired to be like them.

I would've never imagined myself being a part of the program, traveling to universities over the summer, or creating the beautiful memories that I have.

I still remember this day, our first ILC outing.

I still remember when I first began writing my application. It was the day following Don's presentation and after I had begun brainstorming the previous night. I was sitting in my school's library in my secret corner,  an area where the two walls meet and instead of there being two painted gray walls, there are windows that I could look out of. I was shielded from the view of others by bookcases and sat with the morning light shining on my computer.

I knew two out of the three essay prompts from the previous year, since, I had applied but unfortunately didn't get in. While sitting in my corner, I read over last year's application and pointed out all my flaws: I wasn't being honest enough, my answers were fabricated to cater to what I thought Don wanted to hear, and I was surprised because my genuine voice didn't shine through. My truths, what should've been in my application, were fogged over by what I thought the Ivy League Connection wanted to hear. I led myself askew.

This time, I told myself, I wouldn't fall into the same trap. I would slave over my essays and truly answer the questions of why I want to be a part of the Ivy League Connection and the importance of teamwork. My genuine voice would be a beacon of light on my application.

Now that VSA has passed and I'm in my room writing this blog, I can look back knowing that I fulfilled my goal. I wrote honest essays, I was chosen from the interview pool, I attended VSA, and I blogged liked nobody's business. It's crazy to look back and remember sitting in that corner, remembering how the light looked and shone, and remembering every other step of the ILC journey.

A wonderful friendship

I was so lucky to be chosen to partake in the interview with Audrey! We're great friends and we lept with joy when we saw our names appear on the email. I remember changing out of our ordinary school clothing and into our interview attire in our school bathroom. We were horribly nervous for our interviews and kept reminding one another that things would be just fine. We longed for both of us to be admitted into the program but didn't really see it as plausible. Instead, we discussed that if either of us got in, we'd be just as happy. Then came along Don, after our interviews, who announced the Vanderbilt cohort would be made up of both of us, along with Hawi and Anna. I remember floating on a cloud of ecstasy, I was so happy not only because I was admitted into ILC, but because I'd be sharing the experience with one of my closest friends.

I was even luckier to have been placed with the rest of the girls in my cohort. We are all such dedicated, passionate, and supportive people. These friendships will last a lifetime, we've even already begun planning the Vandy cohort's summer road trip.

The Vandy Cohort

Meetings with the ILC were something that I looked forward to. They were a reminder of what the summer had to offer: the joy, the challenges, the independence. I remember greeting Don in his Hawaiian shirt, shorts, and sandals at every meeting, his response was always a friendly,"Hi Ana." Then, we got to work, whether it be creating our blog, learning to upload pictures on Mediafire, or speaking to the School Board. There was always something new to be learned.

Thank You, Ivy League Connection!

Thank you, Don. You gave us something that not many can offer, you worked hard sending us emails, organizing this convoluted trip, and tolerated our mistakes. Thank you for being so supportive and never failing to believe in us. Thank you for sharing RedVines, stories, and loaner items. Thank you for, amidst the barriers and complications, getting us to Nashville and back safely. Your hard work doesn't go unnoticed - thank you.

Thank you, Tori for being a wonderfully perfect chaperone. You were so kind, empowering, and supportive. Thank you for having stimulating discussions with us, thank you for tolerating our nonsense and laughing at our jokes. Thank you for having faith in our abilities and what we stand for.

The ILC taught me to be dedicated. To set my mind on completing a group of pristine and perfect essays. The ILC taught me to be independent, to learn to how to spread my wings and have the opportunity to fly. The ILC gave me a community full of supportive, hilarious, loving, and kind women who I now see as some of my closest friends. The ILC gave me the opportunity to grow, to become a more powerful, a more intelligent, a more kind, and a more responsible individual.

The ILC is much more than a scholarship program, it's a mentorship, a community, a group that I'm proud to be a part of. I wouldn't trade it for the world. Thank you, Ivy League Connection.

Our final embrace.

The Most Amazing Month

Trying to sum up how the last month of my life has impacted me leaves my head spinning. All of the things I have learned, all the ways I have grown, and all the people met have had their own effect. I will carry the experiences we had, and the memories we made with me. It is hard to put into words what rhetoricians would call "intensity of feeling", the burst of emotions I have when thinking about our trip that stubbornly resists comprehension. 

I can say with confidence is that from lift off to touch down, these have been some of the most amazing weeks of my life so far. 

I was lucky enough to start with a sturdy foundation of some of the most incredible people I have ever met. Ms. Sciacca, Hawi, Anna, and Ana, have taught me so much about being strong, genuine, and kind, and I could not ask for a better group of women to be with throughout our trip. We learned how to move as a cohesive unit early on, and with Ms. Sciacca only a phone call away, the rest of us spent every meal together, as Anna reminded us, a time for family. Being part of the ILC meant having people that I could trust and rely on while encountering an environment so different from home, and so many miles away from it. 

Sharing a meal with new friends and old

While in Nashville, and later in Philly, I had my first genuine experiences with college tours, a very different feeling from wandering around the UC Berkeley Campus. In the process, I learned a lot about myself and what I value in receiving higher education. It is easy to have vague goals, you want to go to "good school", or maybe you know you want to go to school in a certain climate, but until you take some tours it is hard to actually know what you really want in a school. 

I learned from both of the tours that I really value an emphasis on community, and subsequently a smaller student body, this was not something that I had expected, but as soon as I walked out of the Vanderbilt tour it was ringing loud in my head. Conversely, when we toured UPenn, as impressed as I was by the academics, somewhere in my gut it felt just a bit too impersonal. Of course, some of this could change, and just a 3-hour tour can't tell you everything, but having that kind of foundation is something that I am extremely grateful for. 

Before the Vandy tour!

Besides hearing how different schools present themselves having the opportunity to actually live in a college dorm, and all that came with that was definitely an invaluable experience. From learning to use communal showers and bathrooms (very different from sharing with siblings), to just living in a place surrounded not by family, but peers, friends, and strangers, all there for a similar purpose. It was such a different environment than anything I had ever been in before, and I learned that living outside of California, while at times uncomfortable, was actually really fascinating and reaffirmed my commitment to moving far away for college. 

Over the course of our time in Nashville, Vanderbilt went from a school that I knew very little about, to being at the top of my list. 

When thinking back on our trip, it is impossible to ignore what served as the center of my VSA universe, my proctor group. We all came into the group total strangers, from all over the world with differing life experiences and vastly different backgrounds, but during those three short weeks we laughed, cried,  exchanged endless friendship bracelets, danced, worked as a team, and above all became a potato family. They showed me how compassionate, accepting, and supportive of each others' dreams a group forged by chance and with only a short time together could be. Proctor Group Meetings at the end of the day became something that I looked forward to, all of us gathered in Payton's dimly lit room sharing about our days and often staying long after it ended to just talk and laugh, half delirious but enjoying each others company none the less.  

The only photo with all of us, you can see some of our personality shining through

I miss all the girls that made out group so special, and of course our fearless leader Payton. Payton, as our Proctor, set the tone for the whole group, and I am certain that VSA would not have been the magical experience it was for me without her. She made becoming as close as we did easy with her contagious humor and smile that could light up a whole city. 

As it goes in life not all my interactions at VSA were roses and sunshine, there were moments that reminded me just how much of a bubble we live in, and ones where it became very apparent that most of the people around us led lives of privilege that allowed them to attend the pricey program. We had conversations with people that had become our friends where both sides disagreed about core issues, but through patience and empathy, they were often able to be productive, or at least not turn toxic. In my class, I was thrust into the position of defending values that are often just accepted as common back in the Bay, and ended learning a lot about myself and the power of my own voice. That is not to say that there were not times when it felt as if we were surrounded by intolerance, and comparatively powerless, but in those moments I still saw the strength of my fellow ILCers to stand their ground. 

In class, my mind was stretched in yet another way, taught by a Vanderbilt professor in a room full of students who wanted to be there, who had in fact written an essay to be in that very place.  Needless to say, it was very different than any classroom I had ever been in before. We had tough discussions about the complex political and social structures constantly surrounding us, and how as students of rhetoric we could strive to complicate and question the world. We learned about the implications of words and texts on society and the ways that they implore us to think and act. All of us emerged with new rhetorical tools to be better speakers, listeners, and interpreters.

Since returning home I have made it a point to tell everyone I talk to about the amazing experience I had while across the country, my friends and family must be tired of hearing me tell them about all that we did and saw. I know one thing for sure, our trip is the gift that keeps giving, I won't stop sharing with everyone I meet about all I learned, the people I met, and broadened horizons I now see.

Looking out on new horizons

An Experience to Forever Remember

It feels like just yesterday that we were hugging our parents goodbye and hopping into the shuttle bus. I still remember the butterflies fluttering in my stomach and the smile that never quite left my face. 

Departure Day

This experience has allowed me to grow in so many ways: it's changed the way I view people around me, has made me more responsible, and has altered the way I see my education. I wouldn't trade it for the world.  

Never have I been immersed in a community of such intelligent, passionate, and friendly people. In my classroom, our desks were arranged so that we could see everyone's faces. To me, this is emblematic of our unity. Each of us had vastly different stories and we were all open to hearing what others had to offer; it was an environment welcoming of abstract creativity, of silliness, and of appreciating one another.  I was surrounded by literature nerds, people who love the same authors as I and can talk on end about canons of literature. Our stimulating discussions weren't dominated by one voice, instead we always contributed. VSA showed me what my high school classrooms can't even get close to. I'll never forgot the elated feeling I had every time I walked through my classroom doors. Thank you Novel Writing, for being so caring, entertaining, and insightful. I'll never forget you.

My wonderful class

In class, I learned to have confidence in my writing. Before, I never shared my work with anyone. I mentioned previously that I would attach the manuscript of my novel in one of my blogs, but I've decided that I don't want to be susceptible to plagiarism. If you'd like to read the manuscript for my novel send me an email at anatouriel@gmail.com and I'll gladly share it with you.  

I'm going to college because I want to learn and to me, education is liberation. VSA has given me a taste of the passion, engagement, and the challenges of a college classroom. I cannot wait for the day that I enter a college classroom and have that same elated feeling.

In Nashville, we were no longer living in the diverse and liberal bubble of the Bay Area. We made a few friends who had different political views than us, but instead of having an aggressive encounter, we had positive discourse. We respected the views of our friends and expected the same back. I was exposed for the first time to someone who thought differently than I and the experience was new and surprising. This world is full of people who've been raised differently, have had different opportunities, and operate under different principles, instead of resenting them, I've learned to respect them and speak diplomatically with them. I will carry this lesson with me throughout the rest of my life, because unfortunately the world isn't just like the Bay Area. 

The city of Nashville is very different from the Bay Area

Throughout this experience, I've made friendships that'll last a lifetime. I know this because we aren't across the country from one another but instead a 5-10 minute drive away. The first few days of the trip, Audrey, Hawi, Anna, Tori, and I spent most hours of the day together. We've laughed with one another, had personal conversations, and complained of missing the Bay Area weather. I wasn't expecting the Vanderbilt cohort to have such a strong bond, even to the point where at VSA we ate every meal with one another and spent freetime together. But, we hit the lottery with our cohort, every one of us is unique, bright, and fun.

I'm not sure what we're doing here.

I'll miss seeing Anna eating broccoli at most meals and laughing at vines. I'll miss hearing Hawi sing her "It's Dinner!" song every day and spending late nights playing cards. I'll miss hearing Audrey's random hilarious comments (who am I kidding, I see Audrey every day at school). I'll miss Tori's wise and supportive conversations and interesting stories. I'll miss our late night blogging parties in hotel rooms. I'm so sad that I won't see these wonderful ladies everyday, but already since we've been home, we've been texting one another and are planning to meet up. I can't wait to see what our friendships have in store. 

Great friends!

VSA has given me the opportunity to have a taste of independence. Living in a family of six, with protective parents means I don't get to spread my wings as much as I'd like. I had to ensure that I ate three meals a day, and by meals not 3 servings of macaroni and cheese and desserts, but instead a balance of vegetables, protein, and grains. I wasn't reminded to make my bed or do laundry, I had to do that on my own. I had to manage my time and balance socializing and academics. It was freedom and I loved it. Learning to be independent will help me throughout the entirety of my life. 

Thank you VSA!