Embarking on my ILC Journey

Mama needs her caffeine!

Maybe I shouldn't have stayed up until 4 in the morning last night, but I did, well aware of my 8:30 AM tutorial session at De Anza High School today. I was trying to finish as much homework as possible, considering my hectic agenda for the weekend (the 4-hour tutorial session this morning, an eye doctors appointment, a "Thoroughly Modern Millie" performance later tonight and a matinee tomorrow). In addition to a stressful school week, you can bet I'm dog tired. Thank goodness, I got my Starbucks fix earlier. 


I woke up to a gray and rainy day, groggy from my 2 hour slumber. Despite the gloomy weather, the birds were out chirping as though they were forecasting the bright day ahead of me. My mother was oh so kind for waking up early on her day off and driving me to De Anza for my first ILC milestone event. Though her driving often makes me nervous, even without wet weather conditions, we managed to get there on time with only one missed exit. She stayed with me throughout the first part of the tutorial, even though I knew she had much better things to do. Without her and my dad's constant support, my partaking in the ILC would have never been possible. But on to the tutorial itself.

Fellow ILCers working hard behind me.

When I arrived, there were already some ILC cohorts situated with computers. I sat down in the very front row, and, after the last ILCers arrived, Don began what was to be a very long but informative tutorial. My fellow ILCers and I got a crash course in blogging--how to create a blog, how to add pictures, how to format our blogs accordingly, and how to make a "good" blog rather than a "bad" one. 

The tutorial session covered more than just blogging. We were reminded of our responsibilities as ambassadors of our schools, cities and district and got a run down of our upcoming events. Most exciting for me was when Don discussed what we should pack and what to expect at the universities, including dorm conditions. I definitely dodged a bullet when I discovered Cornell did not have the "ice box" dorms. (I know that means it will be hot and humid, but the cold and me don't go together). Today's session put my journey as an ILCer into perspective; the whole experience, even as I write this lengthy—I apologize—blog, is so surreal. I can't wait to officially embark upon my ILC journey in June!