Opening Day

On this first day of Spring Break, I spent the late part of my morning and the early part of my afternoon just where I thought I would be; in the back of the Pinole Public Library.

The front of the Pinole Library

While a quite library doesn't exactly embody the week-long fiesta that is Spring Break, the "special" morning session was an incredibly informative four-hours filled with jokes and just a little bit of social awkwardness.  I was accompanied by Good Don, and I got to meet his various relatives Tickled Pin Don, Shifty Don, Evil Don, Frustrated Don, Guantanamo Don, and the very unattractive Flamethrower Don.  I was also accompanied by fellow Ivy League Members Rudy Suarez from Kennedy and Erin Cain from El Cerrito, both of whom were especially incredibly nice and I was more than ecstatic to meet for the first time.  Together, we all took the first step in what should prove to be an exciting spring and an even more exciting, memory-filled summer.

The day went very smooth and I learned a lot of information in a very small amount of time.  We began the day by going over the online art that is blogging.  Being an incredibly big fan of baseball and the San Francisco Giants, I attempted to make a blog about the team back in the summer before my sophomore year, so I've had a little experience creating a blog before and the lecture served as one big refresher.  Me and my fellow cohorts learned the main fundamentals behind making a blog, as well as the right way to create one and the wrong way to create one.  Because it happened to be Opening Day in the baseball world, I wrote a little opinion piece on the Chicago Cubs and their internal operations. 

The neighboring Pinole Tennis Courts

Following the session on blogging, we proceeded to photography, where we learned the difference between a picture taken by an actual camera compared to the standard smartphone.  We were then sent out into the Pinole Library's parking lot for about 15 minutes, where my fellow cohorts and I took a couple photos of anything of interest, such as the building itself, the neighboring tennis court, or the street parallel to the building.  There weren't exactly any monuments saying "take a picture of me!" so it was up to us to make our surroundings look a tad more interesting than what met the eye.  Upon returning, we learned how to transfer the photos from the camera onto a computer, as well as general tips and tricks in regards to making a photo look as good as that of a professional camera, such as resolution, cropping, and red eye reduction.  

To close off the day, we went over our responsibilities as cohorts, what we should expect during future dinners, and what we should pack for our trips.  I was informed that Cornell has a tendency to get a little warm, which might create a little bit of a struggle for me because I love brisk, cold, foggy San Francisco-type weather rather than the hot, humid, musty Florida-type weather.  While I may be whining about something relatively small, I realize that I've been given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and am more than glad to deal with a little heat if in exchange for a life changing summer.  Today, I took the first of many steps in relation to the Ivy League Connection and I am more than excited for everything this program has in store.  

The First Step

No matter if we’re looking at Bill Gates or Albert Einstein, every successful person began with a single step. Today, I took my first.

This Saturday started out like any other—a relaxing jog around the block followed by a session of studying. However this particular morning, I was feeling especially giddy. Every nerve in my body shook with nervousness and excitement as the clock ticked teasingly away. I almost jumped out of my chair when the hands struck noon. It was time to head out to the afternoon IVY league session tutorial.

A few moments after my arrival, I was greeted by the friendly faces of other afternoon students. I was surprised by the warm greeting! Everyone congratulated one another for their success and discussed items which ranged from the most difficult teacher at school to their preference of red vine flavors.

After Don finished scanning the requested documents, we all settled in front of a computer and began the session. Although the forty-three page agenda was intimidating, Don led us through every detail. We were able to pick up some valuable tips on photography and learn the basics of creating a blog. Later, we had the chance to put our knowledge into use through a practice blog. 

As the time to part drew closer, Don switched gears from blogging to traveling. We discussed some important items to pack, how to behave and what to expect on the trip. All the discussion about travel relit the fire, and my anxiousness began to boil once more.

Even though the highlight of my day went by in a wifi-lacking classroom on a Saturday afternoon, this tutorial is more than just a “how to” session. Today I got a glimpse of the road ahead of me. On top of Don’s insightful discussion about dinners and blogging, talking to previous members of this program gave me an insight of the level of intensity the course has in store. Yet today I’ve taken the first step out the door and caught a glimpse of the road ahead of me. The long journey is going to be filled with ups and downs, but I’m excited for the challenges in store! 

Took "the first step" with the afternoon crew!

My Journey Begins

At 1 PM the Ivy League held its annual Mandatory Tutorial, which is a hands-on learning experience for students to have a better understanding of certain information that pertains to the program and what is expected of them. 

I was ecstatic to go to the tutorial because of all the other cohort members that I would meet. Its not everyday where one can have the opportunity to meet amazing academic students from other schools. This tutorial allowed me to meet a handful of amazingly smart students, which I am more than grateful to meet.

Although meeting other scholars was quiet peachy, we did have a great deal of information to learn in order to be part of this program. We learned how to blog, take adequate picture for the blog, and some of the necessary items we would need to have for the trip. Hearing this information excited me even more for my upcoming journey to Cornell. 

Today, I took a step closer to my journey at Cornell. I am looking forward to Cornell and what it has to offer. Better yet I'm looking forward to how Cornell will change me and my perspectives. Today tutorial is just one of the many fantastic events that will come my way from being part of this amazing program, for now, I will just cross my hand and wait till their time comes. 

"The PM Tutorial Cool Connectioners Crew"

"Reunited, and It Feels So Good."- Peaches and Herb

Left to Right. Me, Alyanna, Izabel, Chiamaka

Today was the beginning of our Ivy League Connection journey, the day we all start learning how to blog. I woke up around 7:30 AM, for the morning session with twelve individuals.

When arriving at DeAnza High School, I found myself reminiscing about my past experience. The nostalgia resonated within me as we, the Ivy League representatives, listened to Don's tutorial. But the tutorial did not go to plan with the technology, as some computers were able to access the Internet and others were not.  It was quick the shaky start to our first get togethers, but in ended well.

I was able to meet members of my cohort like Stephen and Helen. In addition, I was ecstatic to see my amazing friend Izabel Rodriguez from John F. Kennedy. It was quite the day for a Saturday, but I'm glad that it happened because I was excited to meet the new faces, especially see the new Women and Leadership cohort. I can't wait to meet our group once more, and I am looking forward to a summer with five talented individuals.

Day 1 of Many

The moment I  stepped onto the bright concrete of De Anza's brand new campus, I knew today would be a long day. As I casually strolled into the computer lab, I was greeted by my classmate Mark, one of 3 students who had arrived early. By the time 8:30 AM came around, all 18 students were seated and ready to listen to Don.

Don wasted no time and told every student to announce their name, high school, grade, program they are attending, and the name of the college they will be studying at. 

Afterwards, we as a class began to carefully read through the packet Don handed out. Each page was thoroughly and quickly explained by him. Upon completion of most of the packet, Don gave the class a 10 minute break.

Ironically, at the quick pace the class was going, instead of a 10 minute break we ended up having a hour long break. This was due to the lack of wifi and poor internet connection. With a few phone calls made to the head of the Tech Department, the class was eventually able to connect to the internet. 

After the brief delay, Don was able to perform a tutorial on how to blog. Who knew blogging had so many instructions! However, following each and every guideline makes one's blog neat, organized, and professional. 

Since already on the computers, Don introduced everyone to Media Fire, a website that allows photos and videos to be shared. To become better familiar with the content, the entire class took 10 minutes to take pictures and upload them onto Media Fire. 

Majority of the ILCers who attended the morning tutorial

Finally, Don wrapped the tutorial up with an explanation of the items one would need for their trip to the East Coast and many more helpful tips. 

Today, March 28, 2015, was an exceptionally great day. Meeting new students and working along side a few of them makes me even more anxious to begin. 

Technology Troubled Saturday

Early this morning both my sister and I attended Don Gosney's Ivy League Connection tutorial on the summer activities. The event was held at De Anza High School in one of their computer labs. 

De Anza High School hallways

After everyone arrived for the morning session, we were given a very helpful 43 page packet that covered everything from behavior expectations to what to pack for the trip. A key item seems to be an umbrella, which is almost unheard of in California, as we've been in a severe drought for the past few years.

While the day was planned around a computer lab so the group could, well, use computers, unfortunately the internet was sketchy and did not work properly for most of the time. However, we covered basic information about taking photos and how to upload them, as well as necessary items for the summer college trip. After a few phone calls and a new username and password, the group was able to access the internet and practice blogging and using MediaFire to store photos.

After concluding the session at 12:30 PM, I felt prepared and excited for my trip to Cornell University and the weeks leading up to it.

We Have a Cohort