Monday, May 9, 2011

Opening My Eyes; LaVonya DeJean School Board Meeting

After a busy week/weekend filled with studying, AP testing, SATs, 90 pages of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and celebrating Mother’s Day, I am glad to say that the end of this jam-packed Junior year is near. 

Despite this hectic time, I was excited to attend the ILC School Board Meeting at LaVonya DeJean. I had only been to a school board meeting once before, when I was much younger, regarding school-closures. But this time, I wasn’t going to the meeting to sit in the audience; this time, I was the one on the agenda.

We were being presented to the School Board. All current ILC members from every school and program were there. Our chaperones were showing us to the School Board to recognize all of our hard work, dedication, and perseverance, and describe the schools we will be visiting and the program we will be participating in.

What I enjoyed most about the meeting was hearing ILC alumni speak about their experiences and studies during the program. We got to hear their take on the workload, the environment, the program, and what school they are attending this upcoming year. Though they probably don’t know it, their speeches had a grand effect on me. Their speeches made me want to leave for Vanderbilt that very moment. Their speeches pushed me farther and farther away from my nervousness about leaving California, to attend a college thousands of miles away. And from their speeches, I realized that all of these students in the ILC applied to an Ivy League College, and it seems like most, if not all, will actually be going to school at one. And it wasn’t until that moment that it actually hit me; I could be a student at an Ivy League School. Who would of ever thought that I would have this big of a chance of getting into such prestigious and highly selective schools?
After presenting the new ILC participants, the sponsors of the program were awarded certificates of appreciation. It was nice to see the faces of those who are helping us reach our greatest potential.

Once again, I would like to thank all of those who help make the ILC possible. Each one of these events I attend opens my eyes more and more to the great possibilities in store for me. I can’t wait for the Vanderbilt dinner next week!