This Is Beginning To Feel Real

Today was orientation. After Don’s email threats, I spent most of the school day worrying that I’d be late and humiliated, or worse, expelled. I left Kensington with Julia Shebek of the Penn cohort and our mothers at about five o’clock, still worrying that the freeway traffic would be our doom. However, four people in one car enables the usage of the carpool lane, so we arrived with perhaps half an hour to spare. I was both groggy and grumpy from a night of little sleep, but the coffee I'd sipped began to take effect before six. Soon I was certainly cheerful and possibly hyperactive. 

Julia and I realize we have to blog tonight.

The Pinole Middle School buildings appear new and in good condition, but the multi-purpose room was smaller than I expected. Don and Mrs. Kronenberg barely needed the microphone in order to be heard. Don started the evening off at 6:03, slightly late, yet two ILCers and their parents came in after he'd begun his introductory speech. I was quiet, anticipating the explosion, but Don only welcomed them cordially and continued outlining the evening's schedule. When Mrs. Kronenberg took the microphone for a few words, she referred to the side of Don we'd just witnessed as "Tour Guide Don." I gather that he's a lot like Good Don, but much more prone to jokes about travel. 

Don discussed the ILC's rules and recommendations for luggage weight and other sundry matters, most of which I had heard before. The chaperones also came up to introduce themselves briefly, much as they had at the school board meeting. We were soon ordered into our cohorts for more group-specific information, so my mother and I moved toward the Cornell banner at the back of the room. There Mr. Chan-Law was waiting with paperwork for things like field trips away from the Cornell campus. Once the legalities had been dealt with, we turned to the colorful, double-columned itinerary which detailed our trip from departure by shuttle bus in two weeks to the exact time of arrival back home again. I was excited to learn that we'll be staying at the Drake Hotel and and eating at some posh restaurants with representatives of the colleges we tour. As Mr. Chan-Law himself put it, he has good taste. 

When we came back to hear Don's second act, we learned about are parents' visitation rights (they don't exist), loaner items (ranging from laptops to rain ponchos), and the behavior that will be expected of us back east (flawless, unless we'd like to come home early). I'm glad that the ILC provides such a detailed packing list and so many loaner items. Items like a laptop lock would never have crossed my mind if I were left to my own devices.

Five minutes after our dismissal, only a few souls were left around the table of loaner items. 

After Don had covered toiletries and other essential travel issues, he asked for questions and got none. With that, we were free to go as we pleased, or to stick around and look at the table laden with loaner items. My carpool was eager to leave, and so I snapped just a couple of selfies with Alexa, Oyin, and Julia to celebrate our impending adventures before heading home. 

I think that the exuberance in the selfies above illustrate my feeling that with every day, departure comes closer. There's a sense of panic, yes, and apprehension as well, but mostly excitement. Cornell will be the farthest I've ever been from home, but I expect nothing less than the time of my life. 

Icing on the Cake

I can’t believe it’s June already! That just means that the greatest things are starting to happen. I’m getting closer and closer to taking a footstep outside Hercules in hopes of being an excellent WCCUSD ambassador. But before that, how can I forget ILC’s annual event: the orientation.

Don conversing with the chaperones before the meeting.

As I walked into Pinole Middle School’s rather beautiful campus, I was surprised at the wind that made my hair into a tangled mess and the chillness that made my fingers numb. It was basically autumn during summer over here for the folks in the Bay Area. Nonetheless, Don brought in the summer atmosphere quite well with his bright aloha shirt, khaki shorts, and sandals.

The venue with suitcases to bring in the traveling mood.

Don and Ms. Kronenberg went over the specific guidelines; the ones that would help us make the most out of our college experience. 

Don started off with a trick question: “How many of the ILC members are high schoolers?” Really, Don? First, if you wanted to be part of this prestigious program the first requirement was that you had to be either a sophomore or junior in high school. I raised my hand nervously sensing danger as the question seemed way too good to be true. It was just too simple. And yes. I sensed it correctly. I had totally forgot. In the ILC we were not teenagers, needless to say that we were high schoolers. We were adults. The responsible, mature kinds of adults.

Soon afterwards, Ms. Kronenberg introduced the ILCers and parents to “Tour Guide” Don and claimed this Don to be the best out of all the Dons we had come across - Good Don, Evil Don, and Guantanamo Don. Now, Evil Don and Guantanamo Don aren’t the ones you should be proud to be friends with.

Parents filling out paper work
as a cohort.

We then split into our cohorts around the auditorium and discussed our detailed itineraries. As we went through it, I was barely able to keep up the pace. St. Louis, University of Chicago, Drake Hotel, fancy dinners, Northwestern, Ithaca, Target -- the list and possibilities are endless. Yes, it will be tiring, but I know that everything will be worth it towards the end.

Out of everything in the meeting, I was rather shocked at the amount of preparation and dedication the ILC coordinators put into carrying out this program. Getting the paperwork done to arranging such events. Wow. This requires loads of dedication, hard-work, and perseverance and the ILC has got it all. These are three qualities that the ILC has embedded into their students.  I can’t even imagine the countless hours Don goes through just to ensure everything flows smoothly. I wouldn’t even blame him for saying he works 35 hours in a day.

As ILCers, we watch ILC coordinators like Don, Ms. Kronenberg, and Mr. Ramsey give only the best to their community and the future of the young ones. And because of such a positive influence, ILCers like myself are inspired to do the same.

Before concluding, Don introduced us to the table of handy things we may need ranging from

Handy items Don offered to loan us.

USB fans to point and shoot cameras. Don and Ms. Kronenberg reassured us that we’re going back east on a study trip. Our main priority is to learn, expand our knowledge, and come back to spread this newly-acquired knowledge. Having fun can be the icing on the cake, but we cannot forget the cake itself. As I head back east this summer to Cornell, I will be the adult who puts learning as priority and fun as an added bonus. This way my cake would contain the perfect balance; It’ll be not too sweet yet not too savory either.

The Final Reunion

Today we had our orientation, just two weeks before our trip. I was extremely nervous because Don had stressed to us that it was very important to arrive on time (at 6:00), because if we didn't then we would be removed from the ILC. Although Pinole Middle School is only located in the next town over, I made sure to leave the house by 5:30, just to be safe. I arrived about 10 minutes later, to my relief, and saw that not many people had arrived yet. I was still worried for the other members of the ILC and wanted them to all get there on time.

At 6:03 sharp, Don began to talk to all of us. He began by going over some rules that had already told us before, but wanted to drill into our heads (not literally) to make sure we all understood what we could and could not do while we're away on our trips. Mrs. Kronenberg added to this, by sharing an example of someone who had gotten sent home due to disrespecting his chaperone. It was understood that all of us were to behave ourselves and respect our chaperones and RAs and not go to parties, skip class or steal buses and go to Canada.

Later, Mr. Chan-Law gathered the Cornell cohort to fill out forms and go over the itinerary for the trip. My mom filled out some forms and when we were finally handed our itineraries, I felt like it was Christmas morning. I finally got a chance to see exactly what we are going to be doing on the East Coast. I was excited to find out that we are getting the chance to stay at the Drake Hotel in Chicago, which is very elegant and not very cheap. I am especially excited to see the college campuses we will be visiting (Northwestern University, University of Chicago, Washington University), since I have never toured a college campus before.

Our personalized itinerary.

After going over what Cornell is going to be like, the parents asked some questions and then we had to go back to sit where we could all hear Don talk about the loaner items. From laundry bags, to desk lamps to bed sheets, Don has it all. He admitted that all of the things he has purchased for us cost $10,000 and it made me feel very grateful that he is willingly handing these out to us in order to feel comfortable on our trips. He even had suitcases set out for everyone to check out. 

At one point during the orientation, Mrs. Kronenberg pointed out that WCCUSD is the only district that offers these sort of scholarships for students to go to Ivy League summer programs. She also said that this is because other districts don't have Don and this is very true. I don't know how he does it, but Don is great at doing his job and not exploding. I could never be able to handle 42 teenagers at one time, along with their parents and all the problems that come along with applications and whatnot, so a big round of applause for Don and all he does.

I still can't process the fact that I'm actually going to Ithaca. Although we've been talking about this for months, it honestly just seems like people are saying these things to me but aren't going to actually happen, so I'm hoping it'll hit me soon. The date's coming up soon and we all have to get ready. I could not be more ecstatic than I am right in this moment to go on this new adventure!

National Don Day + the ILC Orientation

In order:(Thao, Chiamaka, Shanti, Me) Just Celebrating ND Day

A stupendous idea occurred to Thao, a fellow ILCer, while at school. The notion we should all dress up in aloha t-shirts and shorts to mimic Don's casual attire in the ILC orientation and thus, National Don Day was officially established on the second day of June of this year. Another thing to note of National Don Day is that its supposed to be on the same day as the ILC orientation day, so you know when to expect it for next year.

Moving on to the orientation at Pinole Middle School, it was a great two hours and something minutes utilized to go over itineraries, loaner items, time for parents to get to know each other and as well as for the parents to receive an overview on just about most things that constitutes the ILC. The facility was organized well ahead of time, with the multipurpose room being parted into different sections for different cohorts and as well as other rooms to accommodate the rest. Don once again went over some of the various stories of some ILCers, mainly the mistakes that we are expected not to commit in our participation within the ILC. Which included not having your parents follow you around in a restaurant in New York, don't trust the "sanitized" pillows at Cornell, and REMEMBER to respect you chaperone. After, Ms. Kronenberg also gave some input into the some of the stories and basic information of the ILC. Mr. Ray was also mentioned and acknowledged by Don for helping with the continuation of the ILC with the paperwork he helps fill out on a regular basis. Mr. Ramsey was also supposed to be there, but couldn't make it because of an earlier compromise, I believe they said it was a graduation.

Don Giving his Rant on Loaner Items

After the introduction we all broke into our separate cohorts, headed by our respective chaperones, where they explained to us our itineraries in much detail. Mr. Chan-Law explained to my cohort the hotels we are going to be staying at, the restaurants he hand-picked and how we are going to celebrate Carla's birthday when we are at Cornell. On an interesting note, he mentioned how I'm going to have a hotel room all to myself on the college visit days since I'm the only male and I do not mind my own personal space one bit. I also heard that in the Drake Hotel in Chicago, one of the girls has to sleep on the pull-out couch bed and to decide who does it, they will draw straws or something of the like--I thought that was funny. Mr. Chan-Law also explained how the food at Cornell is going to be buffet style for the most part and I do not mind that, so long as the food is adequate and not remotely comparable to school food.

It really seems as if everything is really not that far from now. After all it really isn't, and is just about two weeks from now. I noticed that the only event left that I have to blog about right now (before the preparation day for departure blog) is that of the Hercules City Council Meeting which I'm sure is going to take place not too long from now, but then again I have heard no word of it so far. Either way, by the time school ends I'm looking forward to knocking out the readings for the Freedom and Justice course, which include the books: Princeton Readings in Political Thought by Mitchell Cohen and Nicole Fermon, Editors and The Republic Plato (translated by Robin Waterfield). Apart from reading, I'm also going to start exercising intensely again, like I did in the beginning of the school year and getting a membership at a fitness center at Cornell doesn't sound like such a bad idea now that it has recently been mentioned to me in a forwarded email.

An Engaging, Casual Meeting

This meeting of all ILCers gathering around Don would be the last before all cohorts travel to their respective destinations. Our dress code for this particular meeting, was casual. Thank god. After all those businesslike occasions wearing such fancy outfits made me miss wearing casual clothing to the ILC events. 

I was still at home doing my La Raza homework when my phone alarm rang at 5:00PM. It was time for the last official group gathering of all ILCers, and boy I can't be late for that, or else, as Don has stressed it far enough times for it to be instilled inside my head, you're scholarship will be revoked. Without further lazying around inside my room, I quickly grabbed a pen and hollered down the hall to let my mom know I was ready. Arriving 10 minutes before the designated time allowed me to take some quick glances at the loaner items that was available for checkout. Man, that sleek turquoise camera can probably use a temporary owner right now. 

The meeting started out with the basic info about our itineraries by Don. Every cohort has a distinct set of travel plans, but there are various ground rules that applied to all cohorts and Don emphasized that enough for ILCers to remember...and not forget. Most of the first session info was already covered during the tutorials, but the parents weren't there to listen, so Don was re-explaining some of the confusion along the way on how we, the ILCers, might have deciphered the message to our parents the wrong way. My mom later asked me how Don can keep talking on and on without forgetting what he says. I respond back by saying, "Hey, he's been doing this for 9 years and with the help of his pink clipboard!"

During the time interval between the first and second session, our chaperone got together the Cornell cohort and parents to hand out paperwork that needs to be filled, itineraries that are not yet verified, and potential traveling places to go. Considering the fact the Don has mentioned earlier in session one, none of the itineraries are 100% correct and up-to-date. It is subject to change with notice throughout the whole airplane-hotel-booking process. As mentioned before in previous blogs, the Cornell cohort would first be traveling to Saint Louis for two days; sightseeing and visiting Washington University. My jaws dropped open when I searched up where we're staying.

The Charles F, Knight Conference Center at St. Louis

After this packed two day schedule in Missouri, we would then head off towards Chicago to visit U Chicago for one day, and Northwestern for another. It just doesn't feel right to include only the baronial Knight Conference Center picture, so I'll go ahead and insert a picture of the charming Drake Hotel too.

The Drake Hotel

Once all of our college visits are over, we will arrive at Ithaca, NY just in time to check into Cornell dorms late Friday night. The following weekend will be planned by Cornell. I can't wait to initiate this journey.

Don ends the meeting with the second session affirming that while we have fun in the East coast, do not go crazy. Don't party all night and get drunk, skip classes, and most of all, be disrespectful towards anyone. There was an ILCer a few years back who one neglected these rules. Or more. What awaited for that ILCer was immediate removal from the summer college class and Ms. Kronenberg, the WCCUSD School Board Trustee, flying all the way to the East and dragging him/her back to the West coast. I think this gives a fair, solid warning to all of us.

Follow the rules, make connections on the plane to Ithaca until landing back in SFO, and learn all you can. I believe that by pursuing on these major points will result in a splendid study trip. Myself included.

As the Weeks Turn into Days

My view of tonight's orientation at
Pinole Middle School's Multipurpose room.

I ran into a wall today--literally. Or you could say the wall ran into my car. Either way, I was having a less than pleasant day prior to tonight's Orientation meeting. But as usual the ILC surprised me. I left the meeting invigorated, brimming with excitement. Nonetheless, I am ready to embark on my journey--thanks, in part, to tonight's meeting. 

Both of my parents came with me to the meeting tonight. We arrived at Pinole Middle School with six minutes to spare and, promptly at 6, Tour Guide Don began his spiel. He told us about travel basics, such as TSA guidelines and efficient packing tips and then proceeded to remind us of the ILC rules and their expectations of us while we are back East.

 He stressed how we are ambassadors of our district and will thus be held to certain standards. (Of course, I, just as the rest of the ILCers I am sure, will be conscious of my responsibilities throughout my trip and will indubitably try to be the best representative of WCCUSD as possible.) After our Don's speech, we dispersed into meetings with our respective cohort. 

Mr. Chan-Law handed out a few forms and began discussing our weekend trips, one to Niagara Falls and another possible one to be determined. (No Baseball Hall of Fame, but I digress). What came next was the best part of the night--to me anyways: Mr. Chan-Law gave us each our itinerary. 

We depart around 4 AM to SFO and begin a hectic 5 day trip, from St. Louis to Chicago to Ithaca. I love to travel and am even more excited that we are visiting colleges I'm actually interested in applying to next year. I love to travel and am even more excited that we are visiting colleges I'm actually interested in applying to next year. 

My loving parents. Leaving them makes my trip 
bittersweet, but I'm determined to make them proud.

Once in Ithaca we will find our dorms, take part in Cornell's orientation (which includes a scavenger hunt) and familiarize ourselves with the campus. Then the fun begins. Class will be in session. I'm quite nervous about the rigor of the Hotel Management class, but I am ready to get to work. We wrapped up our Cornell session with a few more questions, then returned as a whole to hear more from Don. 

Don showcased what travel necessities he offers. I don't need to borrow much, but I may take him up on his offer of a portable fan, based on what I've heard about Ithaca. The meeting adjourned shortly after. 

As the weeks until we "set sail" for Cornell turn into days, I am filled with mixed emotions of excitement and anxiety since it will be my first time away from my parents for an extended period of time.

A Night to Remember

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting many people behind the ILC, as well as Cornell alumni and other distinguished members of society at the Town Hall restaurant in San Francisco.

I have to admit, although the idea of eating at a fancy restaurant and meeting so many people that are taking part in my future as an ILC member sounded very exciting at first, I was beginning to get very nervous in the days leading up the dinner. At first, Sue had been the member of our cohort selected to speak at the dinner, but it was then decided that Kevin and I had to speak instead. This greatly added to my nervousness, which had originally come from having to speak to adults that I was not familiar with (I'm not very good at creating small talk). However,  this night turned out to be one of the most memorable nights of my life.

The afternoon started at the El Cerrito Plaza BART station, where our travel group was meant to meet at 5:20. Katelyn, Sue and myself were the first to arrive, right before Don got there, at around 5:05. Everybody else arrived before 5:20 and we all made it in time to board the 5:42 train to the Embarcadero station.

When we finally got on the train, I had the pleasure of sitting next to Mrs. Kronenberg, and she gave me very insightful tips on college admissions that can be essential in the future when I fill out my college applications. She told me that it is important to write my personal statement in a way that sets me apart from everyone, which includes mentioning previous knowledge of the school we plan to apply to. We talked the whole way there and it made the ride seem very short as opposed to long and dragged out, like the BART ride to San Francisco usually is.

After arriving to the Embarcadero station, we all began our walk to Town Hall. Upon arriving, I was very impressed by the environment and ambience of the restaurant since it was like none other that I had been to in my life. We made our way up to the private dining room, where we were met by some of the Cornell alumni that had already arrived.  For about twenty minutes, we all mingled with each other while Mr. Ramsey worked out our seating arrangements. 

I had the opportunity to sit next to Mrs. Carolyn Day Flowers, Mr. David Zahora, Ms. Ali Austerlitz (who were all Cornell alumni), Katelyn, her father and my mother. Our table had a blast, as Don could tell from the next table over. The alumni told us all about what to expect at Cornell, all the places we should visit, and what has changed since they all attended. Ali spoke to us about a completely silent library that we should visit, and David suggested that we visit a rock exhibit on-campus. All the places they spoke about really got me excited for my visit to Cornell.

Right before dinner was served, it was time to give speeches. First to speak was Mrs. Kronenberg who introduced everyone in the room. Following the introductions was Kevin, who made a beautiful speech about his experience with the ELD program as a child and how it had affected him. He also expressed his gratitude in such a graceful manner, and I was terrified to speak next. However, I took a deep breath and made my way to the front of the room. In my speech I spoke about how important it is for the members of the ILC to teach other students about colleges outside of California, since previous ILC members were the ones that encouraged me to join the program. The speech didn't go as badly as I had thought and I was met with a round of applause at the end of it.

After me was Samantha Berg who gave a lovely and expressive speech about her time at Cornell. She talked about how she switched majors multiple times which is something that calms me down since at the point I am not completely certain of what I would like to study. Finally came Mr. Ramsey, who reminded us that it should be our goal to give back and help others, not to be selfish and only think of helping ourselves and our families. He expressed to us the words of his late father, who once said, "It's not about the bloodline, it's about the lifeline."

The rest of the night at Town Hall went by very smoothly. Everyone at my table got along amazingly and nearing the end of the night, Carolyn and David gave me and Katelyn motivational speeches which basically involved staying true to ourselves and experiencing as much as we can in life. Both are pieces of advice that I will always keep with me. I developed quite a great relationship with Carolyn, who exchanged e-mails with me and told me she would be happy to help me with my personal statement. She had missed out on her childrens' band concert to come to the dinner and she said she was glad she had come to the dinner.

Dessert was finally brought to us after the Cornell cohort took a group picture with the alumni. It was amazing to see all the different types of people in this one gathering. They had all attended the school at different times and studied different majors, but had one thing that brought them together, which is their college education. I was also taught the friends made at Cornell are long-lasting friends that will be treasured.

Beautiful centerpiece given to the mothers by
Mr. Ramsey

At around 9:30, it was time to make our way back home. We all made our way back to the BART station and boarded the train, which was surprisingly full. We then had to get off at the 19th street station to make a transfer, but when we got on to the other train it was having technical issues so then we had to wait about ten minutes to get on another train. Finally we were able to get back to El Cerrito, and we arrived at about 10:40. It sure was nice being able to sleep after such a long day, since I had to stay up even later to finish homework.

In all, this dinner was one of the most important events of my life so far. It made me realize how grateful I am to have an opportunity such as this one, where people are constantly feeding us support, whether it be Don or Mr. Ramsey or the funders. These people, along with the alumni and everyone else at the dinner have made an incredible impact on my life by allowing me to go to Summer College this summer. I will make the most out of every moment of this journey and I will use every bit of knowledge I have gained to propel me to great heights in the future. If any of you out there are reading this, thank you so much for everything.