Vanderbilt Cohort

You've read in the newer blogs about the multiple photos taken of the Vanderbilt cohort.  Most of these were taken for their use on their profiles and other uses.  A few might be used in their blogs but most will go unused.

So...here are a few of the headshots just so the world might get to see them.

Looking casual holding up the light post

Cohort, Coffee, and Cameras

On Sunday afternoon Ana, Anna, Hawi, Don and I all met up to learn about blogging and take some photos.

We started by joining Don near the café where we would be doing our blogging, to take some photos. Fortunately for the pictures, and unfortunately for our eyes, the sun seemed to be particularly bright on Sunday and at our first location, on the steps of an old train station, we were all trying our very best not to squint. In the end, all the grimacing was totally worth it, because the warm yellow wall behind us matched perfectly with the colors of our blog and even the Vanderbilt colors. After a few more locations, of which most were thankfully in the shade, it was time to head back to the café for some blogging.

Don suggested Kaleidoscope Coffee for the meeting, which I had never been to before, and as soon as we walked through the doors I was glad he had. The interior was beautiful with exposed brick, cool art on the walls, and even some very comfortable looking giant bean bags in the back. 

So much fun! So much blogging! 

After getting some drinks, and a scone for Ana, we settled down to get to work. The first step was choosing the theme (overall look) of our blog, which was harder than it had seemed to be at first because it had to accommodate all the elements that we wanted. Once we had determined that, we moved onto the fun details that make our blog unique, fonts, colors, sizes, and more, fortunately we did not have any trouble agreeing on the these and decided to go with the Vanderbilt colors as a base. Finally Don added the aforementioned banner picture along a few other details and we were done.

Next it was time to learn about how to do the blogging itself. We covered how to make a blog post and the specifications for each one that I will hopefully be implementing correctly in this first post. Finally Don gave us a crash course in the photo sharing program we will be using it was time to head home.

My favorite part of the day was getting to know Anna and Hawi better, (Ana and I were already friends) and I can't wait to spend the summer with such a amazing group! 

An Afternoon of Tea and Blogging

On Sunday, I hopped out of my car ready to embark on a new journey with the ILC. This four-hour meeting would be the Vanderbilt cohort’s first official get together, encapsulating a fabulous photo shoot, tea at a cool cafe, and blog making. Not to mention, the beginning of new friendships and precious memories. 

We began the outing by meeting by Don’s gray minivan, where after our parents signed a few papers, we buckled into his car and drove off to the destinations of our photoshoot. Despite nature’s inconvenience (blinding sun, wind, butt splinters, and muddy ground) the photo shoot was a fun way to start the day. 

After, we settled in a very cute cafe. It had tables and chairs to one side, and off in the corner was a lounging area with bean bags, a couch, books, and board games. It was the perfect place to spend a few hours creating a blog. I’ve never been tech savvy, but creating a blog was quite simple. We chose the theme, colors, font, photos, and other elements that would be displayed on the blog. 

Although I did enjoy having a photo shoot, drinking earl grey tea, and eating a good scone, by far, the best part of the day was getting to know my cohort members. I can’t wait until the summer!

We Have a Vanderbilt Cohort

First there were 31, then there were 8 and now there are 4.  The Ivy League Connection received 31 valid applications for the Vanderbilt program.  After a review and ranking of the applications, 8 were invited to the interview phase and after a very lengthy set of interviews, our interview panelists made the tough choice to select the 4 who they believe will be the best representatives for the Ivy League Connection, their schools, the District and their community.

Very late in the evening the following four young ladies were invited to return home and pack their bags while they wait for the airport shuttle to take them to Nashville this summer:

Audrey Dowling ~ El Cerrito HS

            Ana Touriel ~ El Cerrito HS

Anna Chang ~ Pinole Valley HS

Hawi Abraham ~ Middle College HS

Going in to the interviews, it was obvious that this group of 8 was going to put the panelists to a test to determine which of them should be sent.  As is often the case, the differences between the applicants are minor.  It’s the little things that make the difference.  If it was all about the academics or an ability to draft an essay, then the interviews wouldn’t be necessary.  From the beginning, though, the ILC knew that there’s more to people than what can be quantified on paper.  The human factor has always been a part of the selection process.

Applicants are asked 10 questions where there are no right or wrong answers.  The panelists want to know how the applicants think and whether they can sell their positions.

This year, the complexity of the questions was expanded with the hope that it would provide the panelists more data from which to determine their own rankings.  Sadly, this only provided the applicants with more to talk about in their responses.  An interview normally takes 12-15 minutes.  With 8 applicants the interviews were expected to take about 2 hours.  By the time last night’s interviews were concluded, it had been three and a half hours!  And still, the panelists had an extremely tough time determine who would earn the 336th through 339th ILC scholarship.

The ILC congratulates all of the applicants and heaps an extra bit of praise for the four young ladies headed to Vanderbilt this summer.